The Dimension Dragon Lords: Special
by HunterHQ
Summary: A year has passed since the interdimensional war and the defeat of Supreme King dragon Zarc, Ryuga now returns to a life of peace with friends and family both old and new. But where 1 adventure ends, another soon begins, as Ryuga soon finds himself in a new world where new allies and enemies await. Along with the return of a cold memory his former life, Dahaka.
1. Chapter 1

The dimension dragon lords: Special

Chapter 1

A year has passed ever since the dimensional war which ravaged the 4 worlds, which was then followed by the resurrection and eventual defeat of the monstrous demon known as Supreme King Dragon Zarc. Thanks to the combined efforts of the lancers as well as the duelling of Yuya Sakaki and a certain young duelist, peace and harmony within and between in the 4 dimensions had never been more absolute. The dreadful days of destruction are now but a distant memory for everyone, and in Maiami City, duelling has been taken to even greater heights as a special tournament was now being held in order to commemorate the occasion, the day the 4 worlds through Yuya's duelling.

 **(Maiami City Arena)**

The field was set as Yuya's favourite duel field, Acrobatic circus, and now a heated match was now well underway in the arena, where many fans were watching, be it at their seats, at home or even across the 4 worlds!

 **BOOM!**

"Incredible! In a surprising turn of events, Shingo Sawatari has executed a stupendous counter strategy against Yuya Sakaki's attack! Things sure are heating up for the hero of the four dimensions as his opponent closes in on him and his life points!" Nico Smiley announced as Yuya was blown back as his attack from Performapal Handsome Liger had just backfired on Shingo's monster.

"AAAAHHH!" he cried as he fell off a platform, only to be snatched in the nick of time by his most trusted partner Odd eyes pendulum dragon! "Phew….thanks Odd eyes, if you hadn't come in I would have been as flat as a pancake…." he breathed in relief as his dragon growled back in response. His field currently had odd eyes pendulum dragon as well as his 2 magicians stargazer and timegazer in his pendulum zones. As he looked back at the platform he was knocked off, he came face to face with a grinning Shingo Sawatari and his ace, Abyss Actor Superstar, as well as Twinkle Little star and evil heel in his pendulum zones.

"Hehehe! Too bad Yuya, but I've got to give you credit for your daring stunt, too bad you weren't fast enough to grab that action card, so your handsome liger was forced to leave the stage." he snickered as his superstar did a bow to the crowd after his dazzling attack against Yuya's monster.

 **Yuya: 3200**

"Hehe…Well you can't win them all I guess…" Yuya chuckled unbothered as he scratched his head, "Though I've got to admit, I never expected you to have gotten this good ever since you went pro yourself." he said as he and Odd eyes got back into serious mode and eyed their opponent.

 **Shingo: 2400**

"Heh! I myself have evolved beyond the duelist you once knew, and you shall soon see!" He then pointed his finger at Yuya, "Today is the day I finally settle the score with you once and for all my greatest rival and fellow lancer!"

"Challenge accepted Sawatari!" Yuya replied with eagerness.

"But that's not all! Proving myself better than you is far too small for a duelist of my caliber!" He then turned around to the entirety of the audience, "On this day, I will prove to everyone that I, Neo NEO New Shingo Sawatari, am the greatest entertainer in the pendulum, no, all the dimensions!" He proclaimed while showing off to the crowd who began to cheer and exclaim even more with excitement.

"A bold proclamation from Shingo Sawatari! Can he possibly back it up!?" Nico announced.

"How about I show you all instead!?" he replied confidently, "Draw!"

Hearing such words would have been an insult to Yuya, but he instead smiled and took up the challenge with stride, "Bring it on Sawatari! Me and Odd eyes can handle anything you throw at us!"

"We shall see about that! First, due to Abyss actor superstar's special ability! I can add one 'Abyss script' spell card from my deck straight to my hand!" A card ejected from his deck, "The one I chose is Opening Ceremony! And now with the set scale of Twinkle little star and evil heel I can summon monsters from levels 2-8 all at once! Pendulum summon!" 2 lights shot out, "Take to the stage Abyss actors Dandy supporting actor and Sassy rookie!" A small moustached man and ruggedly dressed monster in performing outfits appeared on Shingo's field. "Now I play The opening ceremony I just added to my hand! This grants me 500 points for each of my beloved stars! Since 3 are currently on stage their stage director now gains 1500 points from all their combined efforts!" A shower of fireworks shot into the air and exploded around Shingo as his life points gained a significant boost!

 **Shingo: 2400-3900**

"In a single move, Shingo's points are nearly back to their original total! The gap between these 2 marvellous entertainers is beginning to widen, could this be the countdown to Yuya's defeat!?"

"Not if we can help it! Come on Odd eyes!" Yuya called as they ran off across the field for action cards.

"I'm afraid your defeat has been written in my marvellous act Yuya, so I can't have you and your dragon pulling off anymore unexpected miracles!" Shingo grinned, "I activate the special effect of my dandy supporting actor! As I control 2 abyss actors in my pendulum zone, by tributing him I can special summon a level 1 or 8 abyss actor pendulum monster from my hand or extra deck!" The small monster exploded into sparkles, "Now from my hand I summon a second Abyss actor-Evil heel!" The grotesque fiend monster appeared in the smaller one's place! "When successfully summoned, evil heel weakens your monster by 1000 for each abyss actor I control! With 3 you know what that means!" he said with a devious smile.

"Oh no!" Yuya gasped as all 3 of Shingo's monsters glowed red, blue and yellow, their combined aura suddenly shot out and froze odd eyes in his tracks just before he could snatch the action card on a higher platform!

 **2500-0**

"Odd eyes!" Yuya cried as his dragon slumped to the ground drained of its strength!

"Yuya's dragon is completely defenceless! Could this be it!?" Nico announced as everyone was at the edge of their seats.

"No it won't." Shingo suddenly spoke, "What fun would it be if I were to finish things now? Such an act would be completely unfitting of the new and improved me!" Shingo smirked, "I now activate the pendulum effect of twinkle little star! This turn one abyss actor on my field is allowed to attack up to 3 times this turn!"

"No way!" Yuya gasped surprised as Twinkle Littlest glowed bright red and Superstar became fully energised while the other 2 monsters glowed purple.

Shingo then looked to his other monsters, "For the small price of preventing my other monsters from attacking this round, though it pains me somewhat to have both evil heel and sassy rookie do merely the dirty work, I promise you shall all be acknowledged in the finale of this spectacular show! Superstar! Go forth and bring us victory, by slaying the evil dragon!" Shingo announced as Superstar charged forward!

"Come on Odd eyes! Get up!" Yuya called as his dragon groaned but failed to get up. He then sweated anxiously as the action card was right above him yet Superstar was charging at him and Odd eyes at surprising speed! "Can I really make it in time?" He thought to himself, this moment's hesitation bought Super star just enough time to get within striking range! Yuya closed his eyes as he raced for impact, but at the last second-

"Not so fast!" A voice called out to their surprise as a wall of energy generated in front between Odd eyes and superstar, causing him to be immediately deflected!

"Eh!?" Shingo gasped in disbelief, "What just happened!?" he yelled frustratedly after that.

"I happened!" Appearing from out from behind one of the tall pillars was none other than myself, Ryuga Shirogane, on board of MY own dragon Bahamut! He then let out a mighty roar a we landed next to Yuya and Odd eyes who looked up to us with glad eyes.

 **Ryuga: 3000**

"The Dragon seal trap card prevents all non-dragon type monsters from attacking while it's face up! So now I'm afraid Superstar's role in this show has now ended!" I stated.

"What a turn of events! Ryuga Shirogane has arrived on the scene, just in time to save Yuya from absolute defeat at the hands of Shingo Sawatari!" Nico announced as everyone cheered at my appearance.

"Phew! Thanks for the save Ryuga!" Yuya breathed relieved as we went up to him.

"Hey we're partners remember? It's only natural we have each other's backs especially in a TAG team tournament." I replied back, "Sorry I'm late though, would have been here sooner if I could."

"Better late than never." Yuya replied.

"Wh…where did you come from!?" Shingo interrupted still in shock and disbelief, "Weren't you supposed to be out of my glorious picture!?"

"S…sorry Sawatari…." a voice groaned from behind, limping out from the side of a pillar was Kakimoto, one of of his lackeys, "I tried my best but he was just too good for me…."

 **(Earlier)**

At the very beginning Shingo's plan, like it had always been since the first round of this tag team tournament, was to break the opposing team apart into 2 while his team attacked them separately. (He thought of it as a brilliant strategy to keep the opponents from aiding with each other and breaking up their team strategy, but in actual fact it was so he could either use his partner as a scapegoat or prevent him from getting in his way. I admit while it basically was everything against good teamwork, to some extent it was effective at first, but it wasn't to last.)

 **Ryuga: 3000**

 **Kakimoto: 2800**

"Haha! Sorry Shirogane but victory will be mine soon enough!" Kaki boasted as his igknight cavalier had just defeated my powered tuner after pendulum summoning it from his extra deck using his Igknight Gallant and Squire.

I then got back on my feet with a determined look, "Your 'strategy' may have helped you and Shingo get this far in the tournament, but it's nothing compared to the bond Yuya and I share!" I yelled as I drew, "I play spark of the light dragon! Now by sending vice dragon and luster dragon 2 to my graveyard I can special summon a LIGHT dragon type monster from my deck! And there's only one monster I can perfectly rely on now!" A shining card ejected from my deck, "As always Ryuga, I am at your command." Bahamut said with a smile.

I nodded as I laid his card out, "Come forth! The embodiment of the dragon emperor's heart! Bahamut! Sacred dragon of hope!" My partner appeared on the field with a loud roar!

"Uh oh…." Kaki sweated with worry seeing my 3000 attack dragon finally on the field.

"Now I normal summon Bahamut in order to unseal his gemini effect!" The white gemini light enveloped my dragon as his powers were unleashed! "Alright Bahamut! Attack Igknight Cavalier with Supreme Sacred Strike!" I commanded as he took to the air and fired a powerful beam at him!

"N…n…no way am I letting it end like this!" he cried as he raced and snatched an action card from the side of the field, "I activate the action spell evasion! This negates your attack!" Cavalier then dodged Bahamut's blast!

At that moment I grabbed an action card of my own from a spinning wheel (Like the one Yuya rode on when duelling Reiji), "Tough luck Kakimoto, I activate the action spell wonder chance! This allows Bahamut to attack once more this turn! Go! Supreme sacred strike!" Bahamut fired a second beam which hit its target dead on! "When Bahamut destroys an opponents monster that was summoned from the extra deck, like your Cavalier just was, you take its attack points as damage! Sacred rage!"

BOOM!

"AAAAAGGGHHH!" Kakimoto cried as he was sent flying across the field and over the edge!

 **Kakimoto: 2800-0**

 **Ryuga: WIN!**

 **(Present)**

"You'll have to think of a much better team strategy against us than fighting separately Shingo. Because you're fighting the dream team!" I stated as Yuya and I nodded together in agreement.

"Th…this wasn't in my cleverly crafted script at all!" he growled in annoyance before turning to his 'partner', "Oi! I chose you from all my other loyal riff raff and you couldn't follow along with my perfect plan!"

"S..s..sorry Sawatari! I am not worthy!" Kakimoto whimpered before exiting the field.

"Sigh….still a spoilt sport as always I see…" I sighed disappointed that Shingo didn't give him the credit he deserved for trying his hardest.

Yuya then spoke up to try and lighten the mood, "Haha, well you know the old saying Shingo, sometimes you can't have everything go the way you want, be it in life, plans or even duelling." Yuya added, "Therefore, you just make do with what you've got!"

"Make do?" Shingo grunted, "How can I…Wait! Hehehe! I'm such a genius!" he giggled to himself.

"Huh?" we both said confused.

Shingo then grinned as the spotlights suddenly focused on him, "Behold ladies and gentlemen! The noble hero Shingo Sawatari, now alone and having the odds stacked against him, now stands against 2 vicious dragons as the world's last hope! Though it may seem hopeless for our lone hero, justice shall prevail in the end!" he shouted to the crowds as their applause roared even louder than ever.

"Now WE'RE the bad guys?" I thought to myself annoyed that we were suddenly given roles we never asked for.

"Haha, well let's just play along with it Ryuga," Yuya chuckled, "After all, this tournament is all about having fun and building bonds between partners and opponents. So let's give everyone here what they want!"

I then smirked, "Couldn't have said it better myself." I replied as we prepared ourselves for whatever scheme Sawatari had in store.

"Alright you villainous beasts! Sadly due to the circumstances I am forced to end my turn, but very soon the curtain of defeat shall fall upon the two of you!" Shingo declared.

"We'll show everyone here who the true villain is soon enough!" Yuya countered as he drew, "Ladies and gentlemen!" he announced to the crowd, "Watch now as our dynamic dragon duo overcome the clowns of chaos!" I followed whipping everyone into an excitement of frenzy!

"I activate the spell Spiral Flame strike!" Yuya declared as he played it, "Since I have an odd eyes monster on my field, I can destroy any card on the field! And I choose the evil mastermind Abyss Actor Superstar!" Odd eyes then fired a powerful red and black flame towards the targeted super star!

Shingo then smirked, "Heh, well if I am the mastermind as you claim me to be, then I can't allow you to foil my perfect plans for conquest!" he retorted as he leapt up higher and snatched an action card thanks to the aid of Evil heel, "I play the action spell Guard cover! Now for the rest of this turn I can choose the targets of all your card effects! So I'm afraid your little fireworks are now targeting sassy rookie!" The flames did a sudden bend towards the new targeted abyss actor. "Also once per turn, Abyss actor sassy rookie cannot be destroyed!" A blue shield suddenly formed around rookie as the flames were completely blocked.

"That was quite the cunning combo Shingo, guess that means Odd eyes and I will have to try even harder!" Yuya announced as I saw him get back on top of Odd eyes and charged for the action card they were aiming for. "Battle! Odd eyes pendulum dragon attacks Abyss actor super star! Spiral flame strike!" Odd eyes then roared and leapt into the air before preparing to fire down on Super star!

"Eh!? Odd eyes has 0 attack points thanks to evil heel! You'll wie yourself out with that stunt!" Shingo gasped.

I already knew the action card Yuya had was a game changer otherwise he wouldn't have attacked, "But just in case…" I then looked up to Bahamut who knew exactly what I was thinking, "There is no need for words, climb aboard." He then lowered his claw and lifted me onto his head as we took off to the sky for the higher reaches of the field. Meanwhile down below….

"You're not the only one with action cards Sawatari! I activate the action spell overpass! Now the attack points of our monsters swap this battle phase!" The attack stats of both monsters switched.

 **0-2500**

 **2500-0**

"Ack! Odd eyes deals double damage when it battles a level 5 or higher monster, meaning the damage I'll take will be catastrophic!" Shingo gasped as he leapt of the platform and onto the ground, Yuya and Odd eyes gave chase and had him cornered in an end.

"This is where it ends Shingo! Odd eyes pendulum dragon! Spiral flame strike!" Yuya declared as his dragon fired its barrage of flames!

"You're right Yuya…it is over…" he then smirked as he held up a new action cad he just acquired at the last second, "For your dragon that is!"

"Huh!?" Yuya gasped.

"I play battle change! Now for the rest of this turn I can choose the attack targets of your monsters this turn! So now your dragon is forced to battle my Abyss actor evil heel! Which has 3000 attack points!" The flame then bent once more and turned towards the large grotesque fiend monster!

"No Odd eyes!" Yuya cried.

"If this attack connects Yuya will lose one of his best monsters yet! Will this be it!?" Nico announced as everyone leaned forward.

"Help's on the way Yuya!" I called out from the sky grabbing everybody's attention while riding Bahamut and swooping down! "I activate the action spell Zero Penalty! Now the attack points of Shingo's evil heel now takes a nose dive right into 0!" The spell make Evil heel slip to the ground drained of its energy!

 **3000-0**

"N..Not again!" Shingo cried out in disbelief as my meddling had once again cheated him of victory and ruining his plans!

"That's another I owe your Ryuga!" Yuya called out thankfully, "But first things first! Now that odd eyes has battled a level 5 or higher monster, the battle damage is doubled! Reaction force!" The flames erupted even more as they pierced through and punched Shingo out!

"GAAAAARRRRGGGHHH!" he cried as his life gauged dropped to 0.

 **Shingo: 3900-0**

 **Ryuga and Yuya: WIN!**

"And the winner of the Maiami tag team tournament is none other than Yuya Sakaki and Ryuga Shirogane! Such teamwork and strategy! This is exactly what we have hoped" Nico announced as everyone cheered loudly as we and our monsters all took a bow, while Shingo picked himself up and started ranting and taking his anger out on poor Kakimoto out of everyone's sight. "You and the others owe me a full body massage treatment as punishment for letting me down in the finals and failure to meet the expectations off the great Shingo Sawatari!" he yelled frustratedly.

"Y..Yes sir!" Kakimoto gasped while standing up straight and doing a bunch of apologetic bows.

Not paying him, more like not noticing him at all, Yuya then tuned to me, "Alright Ryuga! We did it!" he cheered as he and I high fived, "I knew we wouldn't lose, in fact it was pretty much guaranteed we'd win the moment we paired up."

"I completely agree with you, there was no way anyone would actually beat us, not after all we've been through." I replied as I noticed the smiles on everyone's faces in the coliseum, "It had been a while since Bahamut and I had an exciting match so it was great for the both of us to take part in this together with Yuya." I thought to myself, "And I have a feeling, many more great experiences are ahead of us….I just know it."

 **Hi everyone, HunterHQ back again with special sequel straight from my previous story. Now that my schedule is free I may be able to get started on this. It's short now but will go deeper into the plot in later chapters, won't state what it's about yet though. Let me know what you think of the opening and stay tuned for the next one.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Wow Yuya, that was another spectacular win you pulled off for the umpteenth time this week." I commented as we were both heading out from the stadium back home. Though it was still evening, it was in the winter months now so the skies were starting to get dark and cold now.

"Haha thanks Ryuga, but you deserve as much credit too, after all it was a team effort that brought us the win." he added as we chuckled together.

"You've definitely become the pioneer to lead the future of the worlds as your dad wanted, no doubt he'd be proud of you seeing what you've created." I said as we continued down the street we began to look around us. We saw the city had changed in more ways than one. Ever since Yuya's greatest duel against Reiji he put on for all the dimensions to see, duelling had been taken to new extremes. More and more duelling companies and schools had been opened with various new styles and themes in order to either follow in his footsteps or match his style of duelling, in the hopes of one day standing in the same pro league as he and I were.

The city was brighter and more warm than ever, the dimensional war now but a distant memory and to think he and I were once enemies fighting each other with the fate of all existence in the balance until finally we were able to achieve genuine peace not just between the 4 dimensions but also within ourselves as well. In fact, as time had passed we not only made peace but even settled down into our regular lifestyles with them too, even Yuya's parents and all our other friends from across the dimensions had gotten used to each of them. As I continued to drift in thought of my old experiences, I felt something cold fall against my face, "Hey it's snowing!" I pointed out as we both saw the many flakes of snow fall from the sky, heralding the arrival of winter. Somehow this actually reminded me of something, yet I just couldn't put my finger on it….

"Haha you're right." Yuya replied, "Can't believe that was also on this same day that we were duelling one another when you first came back to us that time Ryuga." he said remembering when I returned and had a one on one match with him and all 8 of our dragons pitted against one another in the most thrilling and exciting match we had since our former lives as Zarc and Dahaka. "Hey enough about that, let's go and see how everyone else at the school is doing! Surely they'd want to praise us for our victory in the tournament for sure!"

I then smiled, "Well then let's not keep them waiting!" As Yuya and I headed off in the direction of You Show duel School, Bahamut then materialised in full form unknowingly to us with a smile, "I am truly impressed by how far they both have come since long before. When all seemed hopeless that they would live separated finally they are all untied as one again, and I couldn't be more proud of you all…." Feeling the cooling wind and winter atmosphere, he turned and looked up at the sky. The sight of snow flakes falling from the dark night sky before landing gracefully on the ground it was as if watching a myriad of tiny diamonds descend from above, and the cold breeze made the atmosphere even more tranquil. He then closed his eyes as he began drift back in deep thought, "This feeling of peace, along with the cold winds….This reminds me so much of…." From that moment his peaceful mood turned to a slightly depressed one, realising a small cold emptiness within himself. Upon that, a small tear had shed from his eye before it blew away in the winter winds.

 **(Meanwhile)**

We soon arrived at You Show Duel School, despite being over a year it had not changed much, almost reminded me of the time when i first laid eyes on it and even now it still gives me a warm feeling inside every time I come over. "Well let's go in and say hi to everyone." Yuya said as he reached for the doorknob.

"Just a sec Yuya, go on without me." I said suddenly remembering something important.

He then turned around puzzled, "Eh? Something important?"

"It won't take too long I promise, I'll be with you guys shortly." I replied.

"Oh..okay then." he replied without question before going inside the school. I on the other hand walked around behind it, in the back of the school yard was something quite large and covered by a white tarp which was starting to get covered by white snow, "It's been many months but it's almost finished. Now for the last few touches….." I said to the others inside of me as I headed in to finish my work.

 **(Inside You Show)**

"Hey guys! I'm back!" Yuya called out and soon he was greeted by the 3 kids Ayu, Futoshi and Tatsuya.

"Welcome back Yuya!" they cheered as they ran up to and smothered him with tight hugs.

"Ahaha! Hey take it easy now you three." Yuya chuckled, "There's only so much of me to go around."

"That tag deal you and Ryuga put on really gave me the shivers!" Futoshi giggled with glee.

"I told you they'd pull it off! Their chances of losing was basically 0%!" Tatsuya said to Ayu.

"Okay okay I admit I was wrong, I shouldn't have worried at all…." she replied to the blue haired boy. "Anyways you guys were great!"

"Aww thanks…" Yuya blushed before looking around, "Eh? Gongenzaka isn't here today?" Yuya asked curiously.

"Oh, he said he had family matters to take care of back at the dojo so he wanted us to tell you that he couldn't come to celebrate your win, though he did say he deeply regrets it." Tatsuya answered as the other kids looked a little down.

"Oh I see…." Yuya replied feeling a little disappointed that one of his closest friends couldn't make it.

"But, we do have someone else who's been wanting to congratulate you on your win!" Ayu giggled as the other 2 boys snickered.

"Really? Who?" Yuya asked curiously.

The kid then turned around to the back, "Alright you can come out now!" They called. Stepping out from the corner was a boy in a blue jacket and a stuck up pony tail, while holding on to a pink lollipop.

"Oi Yuya! Doing well I see." he said with a bright smile.

"Sora! Didn't expect to see you here!" Yuya cried out joyfully as they high fived, "What are you doing here? Weren't you supposed to be at Academia?"

"Hehe, have you already forgotten Yuya?" he chuckled, "I signed up with this school before remember? And once a You Show student always one! Further more the Professor allowed me to stay over in pendulum over the next few days, so that means you guys will be seeing a lot more of me like old times!" he cheered.

"Aww that's very nice." Yuya followed before noticing someone come out from the same corner, a face he hadn't seen the entire month, "Y…Yuzu!?"

"Hi Yuya!" she said brightly, "I decided to come back with Sora from Academia today, and now I'm home!"

"W…Welcome back!" he said with joyful tears as he embraced her in his arms and she did the same, "I really missed you…."

"So did I Yuya, so did I…." she replied as they began to enjoy each other's warmth, in fact it was only recently did they officially decided to become a couple and since then they couldn't get enough of each other whenever they met, (Made even more so since many of their counterparts actually had mutual feelings for each other too), believe me I know.

"Awww…." The kids went as they looked on, to them it was like the happy ending of a fairy tale or romance movie.

"Hey, you guys going to get any further than that or is that it?" Sora cheekily teased, unsatisfied and hoping to see something more forward and daring from the 2 of them.

They both then turned as red as tomatoes before letting go and facing away from each other. (Maybe it would have been better to have just been them alone….)

"SORA!" The kids yelled angry for him ruining the moment.

"They were having a moment there!" Ayu cried.

"Talk about rude!" Tatsuya followed.

"I was just about to get the good shivers! You're the worst!" Futoshi growled.

Sora then smirked, "Hehe, well they've gotta have that extra push if they're going to get any deeper into their relationship than now. Am I right or am I right?" he then went to suck on his candy while waiting for their response.

The pair remained silent for a while overcome with embarrassment. before Yuya decided to go first, "S…So…how was your entire month of getting acquainted with your…other families?" he asked nervously, in fact Yugo and Yuto were just as embarrassed while Yuri simply laughed at their misfortune, though he kept it to himself that he had started to get to know Selena recently, but wasn't yet as close to her as the others to their respective loves.

(Last month Yuzu decided that it would've been unfair if she neglected the needs and friends of her counterparts who had now become a part of her, so she spent the entirety of it visiting all the other dimensions and try to get reacquainted with her old friends and fun times there, like hanging out with Sayaka in Heartland as Ruri or playing with the kids at the orphanage in synchro as Rin)

Still blushing, Yuzu found it hard to mouth out what she wanted to say, "Umm…well it was really great that's for sure. But overall I really missed-"

Suddenly catching them all off guard, "YUUUZUUUU!" A familiar voice screamed from out of nowhere. Barging from the main office door was Shuzo Hiragii, principal of the school and Yuzu's dad!

"D..Dad?" Yuzu asked feeling a little uneasy at his sudden appearance and joyful expression.

"I was taking a nap in the office till I heard your voice again! Welcome home dear! Come give your daddy a big hug!" he cried as he completely smothered her with fatherly love and hot-blooded joy!

"ACK! Dad! A little personal space please!" Yuzu screamed as she managed to wrestle her arm out of his embrace before grabbing her fan from her pocket and doing her trademark discipline technique!

SMACK!

"OWWWW!"

"Don't you see Yuya and I were just having a moment!?" she growled while the others either sweat dropped or snickered in amusement.

"Sorry dear…" he groaned as he rubbed his head, "It's just that….having you gone for over a month was something I couldn't handle in the slightest! In fact it was so bad I spent most nights sleepless, worrying for what may terrors may befall upon you in the other worlds, or worse, you may leave me and the others in Maiami to stay in one of your other homes forever!" He bawled, "I…I just don't know if I can handle that…." he concluded, though having his head smacked with the fan was something he didn't miss.

"I….see…." Yuzu then sweat dropped as her counterparts soon shared similar feelings inside her, "In that case I'm sorry, and I'm happy to be home again." With that everyone took turns to give her a welcome home hug. "Aww thanks everybody…." Yuzu sniffled with joy, "Over the past few weeks I spent good quality time with Shun, Allen and Sayaka in Heartland, visiting the old orphanage in synchro and then spending time with Leo Akaba at Academia, but this….this reunion really takes the cake." She replied.

Thinking about it, Shuzo then spoke up, "Now that I think about it, since you've been visiting the homes of your other selves and are now one person, who should the parental rights to you go to in this case?" He asked, "You were once Leo's daughter when Ray, but you're definitely mine for sure. Then again there's Shun Kurosaki too, so would that make him my son as well? Also since you were from the orphanage as Rin would that mean I would have to sign some paperwork if i am to take you in?"

"That's really confusing indeed…." Sora added as they all began to ponder over what to make of it.

"What would you think Ryuga?" Yuya asked turning around but then remembered I had gone off before he went inside. They then looked around and saw no trace of their missing friend.

"Say where is Ryuga now? Did he go off back home already?" Tatsuya asked as he and the others focused their attention on Yuya who happened to be the last person who was with me.

"Ummm…actually I don't quite know. He did say he wanted to take care something first and told me to go on ahead, though I didn't quite ask him where or why…" Yuya replied scratching his head unsurely.

"Bummer…." Sora stated disappointed as he sucked on his lollipop, "Was hoping to say hi to him too…." The 3 kids shared similar expressions on their faces.

"Come to think of it, for the past few months I did see him going from and back to that old shed behind the duel school." Shuzo said which caught everyone's attention, "I asked him why once but he told me it was a secret. Something that would bring us plenty of profit to You Show but only if we wait till it's finished."

"Really? Profit to the school? How?" Yuzu asked curiously.

"I…don't really know either haha…." Shuzo chuckled.

"You said back at the school right? Then that's where we're going!" The kids cheered as they ran off to the back door of the school.

"H..Hold on! It's supposed to be a secret!" the principal cried out as he chased after them followed by Yuya and Yuzu.

Heading out the backdoor they found it had started to snow a little more and it was getting cold too, "Brr….What could Ryuga be doing out here at a time like this?" Yuya asked out loud.

"Achoo! Urgh…I'm getting the shivers…." Futoshi sneezed as Ayu and Tatsuya began to snuggle together in order to get warm. They all soon heard some hammering noises and followed it around the corner, there they found me standing back while wearing a warm jumper with a proud expression over a white tarp covering something, which they assumed was where the old abandoned shed was.

"There, it's finally finished…." I said to myself pleased at my work and a job well done.

"Oi Ryuga!" I heard behind me and I turned to find the entire You Show crew waiting for me.

"Hey guys! I didn't notice you dropping by." I called out gladly to see everyone who greeted me with friendly expressions before spotting 2 unexpected faces as well, "Oh! Sora and Yuzu! Nice seeing you guys here too."

"It's nice to see you too Ryuga." Yuzu replied happily while Sora simply looked on, "Say, why weren't you with Yuya just now? You were all no show just now?"

"Yeah, also just what was it that was so important for you to be out here in the dark and cold all by yourself." Yuya asked.

"You've got some explain g to do Shirogane and I want to hear it now!" Shuzo yelled demandingly.

"Ah about, you guys are just in time." I said as I headed to one side of the tarp.

"Oh? What for?" Aye asked before smiling, "Is it a surprise!?" The kids then waited in anticipation for what was underneath the cloth. The others soon realised

"You guys are in time to witness the grand opening to-" Wait for it, "The Dragon's Lair!" As I pulled off the tarp everyone gasped in amazement! Over time I had taken down and completely dismantled the old shed before remodelling it into now what looked like an entire dragon's head (In the shape of purple eyes grisaille dragon's) with he door way now in its jaws and its hands and claws as decorations on the side! In fact it was so detailed it looked almost identical to the actual monster itself!

"Wow!"

"Shivers!"

"Nicely done!" everyone praised.

"You've made this all by yourself Ryuga?" Yuya asked amazed.

"Well I may have had a little help from 'others' here and there but yeah, this was entirely my idea and effort." I answered, "I wanted to make this for you guys but also a surprise, so what do you think?"

Sora then took out his sucker and then nodded, "I'd say it's a job well done! I definitely approve."

"So do I!" Yuzu followed.

"I can see you've definitely put a lot of hard work into this masterpiece Ryuga, can't say I'm not proud of you!" Shuzo praised, "While it does look great and all, you said this was going to make many profits for the school and I don't see exactly how it's going to do that."

I then smiled, "Don't judge a place by its exterior principal Shuzo," I replied confidently, "If you don't believe me, come inside and see for yourself." I said as I pushed through the front door of the dragon's mouth and everyone followed me rather quickly. When they looked around they were even more speechless. Despite the outside's small appearance, the inside was actually a card shack (A similar design to Kame Game from Yugioh DM) One side had rows which were upheld in a white dragon theme shelf and even a human sized model of Blue eyes white dragon next to it! It carried a duel computer where various games like turbo duel simulators and duel puzzles of different levels were held, which also gave card prizes depending on your score! It also had rows of well organised and balanced structure decks laid out on the racks, (Like dinosaur's rage, lost sanctuary and even gates of the underworld) and the right end had shelves in a black dragon style holding together various booster packs, and sections for synchro, fusion, xyz and even pendulum, and a password machine which was upheld by a statue of red eyes black dragon. In the far back was a display case which had dozens of individual rare cards for display and sale, the entire place was a true card collector's dream come true! It also came complete with electrical listing and even a working thermostat too! (All design and engineering came courtesy of Yamata and Jin, while Nushi only provided verbal motivation and encouragement, I was the one to put in the heart and muscle work to initiate and complete this idea now a reality)

"Wow! Look at all these!" The kids cried as they ran out to different sides to look over my merchandise while Sora and Shuzo followed soon after, "These cards must have cost a fortune! To see so many of these in one place….I must be dreaming!" Yuzu and Yuya on the other hand held themselves still trying to process what they just witnessed.

"Whoa! These fusion cards will go really well with my deck for sure!" Sora gasped as he pressed his face on the glass display at the fusion section which held various support like **fusion force, matrix fusion,** and fusion gate. "You actually kept such cards with you all this time and for yourself!?" he turned his face around with a slightly mad look.

I then scratched my head, "Hehe, well I've picked up cards here and there over the past few months (Courtesy of my old travels and also thanks to my spirit friends) but then decided that others could use them more than me and it wouldn't be fair for me to just keep them to myself, so I decided to at one point start a small business selling them off to others who may need them more as well as use them wisely."

"Wooooo…." the kids and Shuzo went in awe as they continued looking through my wide choice.

"This is amazing Ryuga, being able to come with this all on your own without any help at all." Yuzu said impressed looking around in awe, "But, why'd you have to keep it a secret all this though? That's what I'm curious to know." she asked.

"Yeah, aren't we friends? I thought friends don't keep secrets from each other." Yuya followed.

I then turned towards my 2 closest friends, "We are, but I didn't want to risk any of you guys boasting about it outside of school or any chance of it leaking to the public, otherwise I'd be bombarded with requests or demands for rare cards even before they go on sale." I answered, "Also I wanted to make it a…surprise to commemorate the occasion too, for both our recent my and Yuya's victory in the tag team tournament and for your return home Yuzu.

"Awww that's really sweet of you…." Yuzu said gladly as she went over to give me a small hug, though I couldn't help but blush a little since Yuzu was 4 girls at once now, "This really is the best homecoming day ever!" she said while whispering her apologies to her other counterparts inside, not wanting to offend their reunions with old friends in the other dimensions over the past few weeks.

"Hey make room for me too!" Yuya followed as he joined in the hug too.

Now it felt complete like old times….. "Glad you guys think so too." I replied.

"Whoa! These cards are like really expensive!" A voice suddenly interrupted, ruining the moment. We then turned and then came face to face with a couple of angry and unhappy expressions from the others.

"500 DP for only 1 card!? That's outrageous! Do you real know how to do business?" Shuzo cried astounded. As Yuya and Yuzu went up to the display case they too were alarmed at some of the really high and seemingly unfair prices on display.

"Hey when you have genuine rare cards on for sale people would pay any price to get them, especially if they can't be found anywhere else. Also you can get normal packs with 10 cards each for only 1000 dp, you can't get anymore fair than that." I replied back to my principal.

"That's pretty shrewd of you…." Shuzo thought as his statement was countered quite effectively.

The Trio then went up to me with unhappy faces, "But we're still just children! We can't possibly afford even one of these!" Ayu said while clutching her hands together innocently.

"Yeah! Do we look like snobby rich folk, like Shingo Sawatari!?" Futoshi yelled.

"Guess you'll just have to make do with cheaper and regular packs then?" I suggested.

"NO!"

"We want rare cards!"

"And we want them now!" the kids cried in annoyance. Seeing them do that was quite adorable I had to admit….Seeing their frustration over something so close yet also so far….am I actually picking that up from Nushi?

I then felt a tug on my shirt and as I turned I found Sora had gotten behind me without me noticing, "Come on pleeeeaaasseeee?" he begged while flashing his trademark puppy dog eyes, "Aren't we all like irreplaceable friends since the dimensional war? Surely you can make an exception for us?"

The others then looked at me with slight grins, "Hee hee, no way Ryuga can possibly say no to that face."

Too bad for them, I knew exactly where this was going, "Nice try Sora, that trick would have worked on me before, but now that I know your true self as a capable warrior of Academia, you'll have to try something more original." I replied making him pout his cheeks.

"Hmph, you're no fun." he scoffed.

"Is there really no way you can give us all a discount though?"

I then closed my eyes and grinned, "Hehe sorry guys, I don't mean to bring your hopes down but…a guy's gotta eat and keep up a good living right? It's kinda how the world works." I chuckled mischievously.

Everyone then sweat dropped at my remark, "Umm Ryuga? You do realise that ever since you came to Maiami you've been living with me and my family at our house. We gave you a roof and good quality food pretty much everyday, don't you think you're being a little too much?"

"That's exactly the point Yuya," I replied in a kore serious tone, "I recently realised everything you Sakakis did for me ever since I moved to Maiami, and so I decided I can't just keep freeloading at your house forever. In fact, I decided to keep allocate only 10% of all profits to myself while 40% will go straight to you guys as my thanks."

My words suddenly stirred Yuya's heart (As well as the others within him, excluding Yuri who didn't seem to care much), "Wow Ryuga…I never actually thought of it that way….It…means a lot."

I then turned to Shuzo, "If it makes it any better for you, the remaining 50% will go straight to the school's funds, surely that will help pay a couple of bills and even leave some leftover for future improvements!"

Shuzo then exploded into emotional tears of joy which made me feel somewhat flattered but also uncomfortable, "Ryuga! You are a complete business genius! I take back everything everything I said just now! I fully approve of your skills and deals here!"

"Eh!?" the rest of the screamed in shock and annoyance.

"How could you take his side!?" The kids cried.

"Dad! You'd choose the school over the students!?" Yuzu growled.

"Yuya you traitor! I thought we were friends!" Sora followed against the tomato haired boy.

"Heheh….Sorry guys but Ryuga did make a fair point…." Yuya chuckled nervously while scratching his head alongside a worried Shuzo, "Hehe…err is it too late for me to take back what I said?" he sweated.

Noticing the others ganging up on the poor boy and man in no time, I decided to compromise before things got any more ugly. "Alright guys you win, since I'm in a good mood today, how about we make a deal?" I said which caught everyone's ears as they all focused on me. "If you one of you can beat me in a duel, I'll let you all have one free rare pack each today and from now on all You Show Students get a 50% discount off all purchases."

"Really!?" they exclaimed with great surprise.

"You have my word." I answered firmly to show I had no regrets in my words.

"Yay!" The kids cheered, "Free rare cards here we come!" Shuzo followed.

"Best homecoming day ever!" Yuzu cheered.

"In that case I'll be the one to duel you Ryuga!" Sora called out.

"Eh!? Sora!?" They gasped looking at him as he took out his lollipop, "Why should you duel?"

"Why not? It's been a while since I had a high staked duel with lots of fun so I think what better time than now!" he said, "I never had one since my very first day with Yuya! Also I never got to duel him when he first enrolled, so it's only fair I get to duel him now!" he then whined as a childish kid, which I ain't seen for a really long time.

"But I really want to try my new pendulum cards against him!" Futoshi cried out, "All this anticipation is giving me the uncomfortable shivers!"

"Same here! It's not fair!" Aye followed.

Shuzo then spoke up, "Hold up kids! As principal of this duel school I decide who duels him! And I say it should be me!"

"Awwww no fair!" they whined.

"Wait guys, if anyone can take Ryuga on it's me!" Yuya called out getting everyone's attention, "After all, we both use all the strongest summoning methods so I'm the only one who stands a fair chance against him!"

"Eh!?" everyone else gasped.

Yuzu then stepped forward, "He's right though…Yuya's the only one who stands a good chance against Ryuga since their mastery over the dragons and summonings is pretty much unrivalled except by each other. Against anyone else who doesn't use at least 2 of them…well…."

Everyone then fell silent "Well….When you put it that way…." Shuzo scratched his head.

"Awww…" the kids sighed.

"I was really looking forward to coming back to You Show today too…." Sora added feeling depressed.

Noticing how disappointed they all were, I couldn't help but feel a little bad for them. With a little 'inner' persuasion, so I decided to change the conditions a little, "Okay then how about this?" They all turned to me, "To make it fair I'll give you guys a handicap. I promise not to use any other special summoning method except pendulum, that should even the playing field quite well enough right?"

Their eyes all widened, "For real!?" I nodded once more assuringly, "Cross my heart, pendulum only."

"Now that's a deal I'd be a complete idiot to refuse!" Sora smirked eagerly seeing it as an opportunity to capitalise on, a trait he still retained as a duel soldier of fusion. "I'll duel you then!"

"No way! Why you?"

"Because I'd be the best duh!"

"I would be a better choice!"

"No me!"

Even Yuya and Yuzu joined in, so I then sweat dropped at everyone's childish bickering, "Okay….this is getting us nowhere…." Speaking up again, "Alright listen up!" Everyone then noticed me rummaging through the back room as I then pulled out a cup with straws in them.

"Straws?" They asked curiously.

I nodded, "Each of you draw one, and to make it fair the winner will be decided by chance. The one who picks the straw with the red tip gets the honor of representing you all and to duel me!" I answered.

Then turned to each other, "Well, what do you guys think?" They then pondered for a moment before giving their answers.

"Sounds fair…"

"No arguments from me."

"Better than quarrelling all night I suppose."

"Then it's settled." I said taking their answer to be yes as I handed them the cup and they each grabbed the end of a straw.

"DRAW!"

As everyone drew they began to look at them, one by one all the tips ended with white until…."Yahoo! I won!" Sora cheered as he held out the straw with the red end, "Guess that means you're duelling me!"

"So it would seem Sora." While it was true only someone who mastered all summonings like Yuya and Reiji were the only ones who can stand easily to to toe with me, I actually wanted to duel someone different for a change, so I was kinda relieved it wasn't Yuya, to his disappointment.

"Awww I really wanted to duel…."

"Hehe, guess this means I finally get you back after stealing the chance to duel him when he first came along." Sora snickered mischievously causing Yuya to puff his cheeks in annoyance, remembering when I first showed up and he immediately volunteered to challenge me, much to Sora's dismay.

"Well, better luck next time Yuya." His girlfriend Yuzu said comforting him as the rest of them moved back to the duel school and up to the viewing platforms while Sora and I headed to the duel field.

"Alright Sora, since you're our only hope in acquiring all those rare cards for free, I'll give you the best field that you could ask for! Candy Park!" Shuzo called out as he selected the field from his computer.

The duel arena was enveloped in white light and as it died down, "Woo hoo! Now that's what I'm talking about!" Sora cheered as he did a little happy dance around the marshmallow bedded field while spinning around eying the dessert structures, "Hehe this is just like last time, except this time I'm gonna use all my skills right from the get go!" he called out. (Last time he went easy on Yuya at the start when they first duelled, now he was going to play for keeps against me)

"Yay! Go Sora!" The kids cheered.

"Do your best Sora!" Yuzu called out.

"Whatever you do, don't underestimate him! He's really tough! Believe me I know!" Yuya added.

"Relax! This match is in the bag!" Sora assured, "When this is over we'll all be bathing in rare cards for days!"

"Talk about unfair…." I thought to myself seeing how I had little to no support at all from my friends, not to mention we were duelling on a field Sora was especially good at, (So this is what it's like for a pro who has to venture far from home and is away from all his supporting fans, like Yuya did when he duelled Gongnenzaka for his last needed match for the Maiami championship) before shrugging it off, "Alright Sora, you might think because I've limited myself to pendulum summoning and that you've gotten the support of the entire crowd you'd have an edge over me, but I'll say this, let our cards speak and only then will the winner be truly decided!"

"Okay then if you say so Ryuga!" my fusion friend stated with an eager look. As we readied our duel disks, Sora then smirked to himself, "Hehe, what Ryuga doesn't know is that I've been practicing hard day and night at Academia in preparation for a rematch since that tag duel loss you gave me and Yuzu sometime back! Just you wait, I'm about to bring something new to the table this time so you better be ready for this!"

I on the other hand was thinking similar thoughts, "I've been working on a new deck that Yuya and I put together for a while now, and what better time to try it out than now! Sora will never see this coming for sure!"

Everyone outside then chanted from the viewing areas, "Duelists locked in battle! Kicking the earth and dancing in the air with their monsters! They storm through this field! Behold this is the newest and greatest evolution in duelling!"

ACTION DUEL!

 **Sorry no duel yet, wanted to add it at first but then realised the chapter would be bit too big. Will get more into the plot soon too as hinted already in the beginning here.**

 **So who shall take home victory? Will Ryuga be able to pay back the Sakakis for their kindness and hospitality or will Sora pull off a Robin Hood and take home the prize for his needy friends? Find out next time so stay tuned!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

DUEL!

 **Ryuga: 4000**

 **Sora: 4000**

"You may have the first move Sora." I offered.

"Ok sure, though you might regret it though." Sora grinned eagerly, "I've upped my game since the last time you saw me and I'll prove it to you in this duel!" He then looked to his hand.

"Come on Sora, win this for us…."

"Free cards….free cards….." The others went as they watched in anticipation.

Sora then smiled as he hatched an ingenious idea with he cards in his hand, "I'll start things off with the spell Frightfur patchwork! Now I can add polymerisation and an edge imp monster from my deck to my hand!" 2 cards ejected from his deck, "And my choice will be edge imp sabres!"

"Getting ready for fusion already…." I thought.

"Now Ryuga! Say hello to an odd friend! I play polymerisation to fuse edge imp sabres with fluffal cat and rabbit!" Sora called out as his 3 monsters rose into the air and fused as red, yellow and green orbs of light! "Demonic claws, vicious hunting instincts, come together in the vortex and show us a new form and power! I fusion summon! Come forth! Howling menace of the night! Level 6! Frightfur wolf!" The familiar wolf fusion monster took to the candy field and howled menacingly!

"Haven't seem him in a while…" I said out loud, "And I'm fully aware of his special ability to attack for each of his materials. With 3, that means 3 attacks right?"

Sora smirked, "Hehe, I'm impressed. It's been so long yet you still remember, I'm flattered." He then turned more serious, "But I'm playing for keeps this time! So flattery won't get you anywhere! Since Fluffal cat and rabbit were used in a fusion summon, their special abilities now activate! First, cat allows me to recover polymerisation from my graveyard!" The fusion spell appeared back in his hand, "Next, thanks to rabbit I can recover my edge imp sabres from the graveyard!" The sabres returned to his hand as well. I then narrowed my eyes at the combo he pulled off, he certainly had picked up a few new tricks, this won't be as easy as I first thought.

"I like where this is going." Yuya commented as Yuzu nodded.

"But why stop at on fusion when I can do another! Now I activate polymerisation once more! This time fusing fluffal penguin and edge imp sabres!" The purple penguin plush and sinister scissors rose into the air and fused as blue and purple lights, "Claws of the demon! Fangs of the beast! Become one and reveal a new form and power! I fusion summon! Appear! Frightfur wolf!" A second wolf appeared onto the field and howled.

"Alright! Sora's done a double fusion!" Aye called.

"They're both the same monster and each can attack more than once too!" Tatsuya pointed out.

"Shivers!"

"Penguin's ability activates! When used in a fusion, I can draw 2 cards and then discard one after!" He then drew and eyed them, "These are too precious to toss out, guess that means-" He then eyed an action card on top of a tall lollipop and with lightning reflexes he jumped over and snatched it! As he landed he took a bow as everyone clapped.

"That's pretty resourceful of you." I stated as he discarded it, "Also that jump was pretty good, it's clear you've still been keeping your skills sharp."

"Thanks Ryuga! But this is only the beginning of what I have planned for you! Now I place a card facedown and end my turn." A facedown appeared on the field.

I then took a step back and eyed the 2 large fusion dogs before me, "Starting off strong with your trademark fusion summoning I see." I said out loud, "Still, rushing in with your best monsters on your first turn isn't always the best approach."

"Maybe, but it works at least, let's see what you can do!" Sora called out challenging me while hopping on top of one Frightfur wolf.

"This ought to be fun, my draw!" I drew then observed my hand clearly seeing a combo I can work with, "You're not the only one with surprises Sora, I use scale 1 Odd eyes persona dragon and scale 8 odd eyes mirage dragon to set the pendulum scale! The red and green dragon pendulum monsters appeared and rose into the air! "With the set scale I can summon monsters from levels 2-7 all at once!"

"Huh!?" Sora gasped.

"O..Odd eyes!? No way!" The kids exclaimed.

"When did he get those!?" Shuzo yelled.

"Oh boy….." Yuya said as he sweated nervously.

"Y…Yuya?" Yuzu asked as the others looked to him, "You knew about this?"

He then chuckled nervously, "Heh heh…well Ryuga and I have been working together on building decks for some time now….and not only did we trade cards with one another, we also came up with some new ones in the process, maybe even coming up with a strategy or two with them….ha ha…." he scratched his head as the others glared at him.

"So he's going to use this combos you taught him to beat our only hope of getting free cards!?" Futoshi grumbled.

"D..don't worry! Sora won't be going down that easily right?" Yuya said nervously.

"He'd better not lose for your sake, if he does, you're buying all of us those cards!" Ayu added as they focused back to the duel.

"EEEEEHHHH!?" he gasped.

On the duel field Sora looked on in awe, "Whistle…Didn't see the coming…."

"And neither will you see this! Mighty power filled with limitless potential! Carve the path of hope and lead us to victory! Pendulum summon! Come forth my loyal monsters!" 2 lights shot out, "Appear! Aether the empowering dragon!" A golden serpentine dragon appeared from the portal, "And now ghostly dragon with dichromatic eyes! Odd eyes phantom dragon!" My version of odd eyes appeared on the field.

"You've even got an odd eyes of your own like Yuya's!?" Sora gasped in shock.

"Yup! And you'll soon see what he can do! But first, Aether's ability activates! When pendulum summoned, one card on the field gets returned to its owner's hand!" Aether then began to glow brightly.

"So you'll use it to return one of my frightfur wolves to the extra deck?" Sora asked.

"Not quite, my target will be your facedown! Go! Shining evacuation!" Aether then shot a breath of light through the facedown causing it to explode into yellow sparkles and then materialising in Sora's hand again.

"Huh? But…why?" Sora asked confused, "If you got rid of one of my monsters you'd be able to land a direct assault after."

"Let's just say, I've known you for a long time already and when it comes too you I can't afford to be careless now can I?" I replied.

He then scoffed, "Hmph….That's pretty smart of you…." The card he had laid out was a trap which he hoped to make good use of but now his plan was ruined.

"Time to step into battle!" I pointed out, "Aether the empowering dragon attacks one frightfur wolf! Pulse impact!" My golden dragon fired a shining ray which pierced through the wolf and caused it to explode!

 **Sora: 4000-3700**

"WHOAH!" Sora cried as he was blown through a big piece of cake! "Hahaha! Actually that wasn't half bad!" He chuckled as he picked himself up and brushed the chocolate off his clothes.

"Then you're going to love this even more! Odd eyes phantom dragon attacks next! Phantom spiral flame!" Phantom then growled as it leapt into the air and blasted a powerful blue and white stream of flames which incinerated the second!

"Urgh!" Sora grunted as the vibrations shook him!

 **Sora: 3700-3200**

"It's way too early to relax Sora! When odd eyes inflicts battle damage, it inflicts damage equal to the total attack points of the monsters in my pendulum zones!"

"It can what!?" he gasped with widened eyes.

"Both persona and mirage have 1200 attack points, meaning the damage he'll take will be….2400!?" Tatsuya calculated.

"Then his life points remaining will be just 800!" Yuzu cried out.

"Get out of the way Sora!" Futoshi and Ayu called.

"Go Odd eyes! Phantom force!" Mirage and Persona channeled their power into phantom as he unleashed a powerful stream of fire!

As the flames came in towards Sora, a smirk broke across his face "Heh, too bad Ryuga! I'm activating the action spell Acceleration!" As he played it he dashed quickly out of the flame's way as it obliterated a giant candy cane instead! "Now your effect damage gets negated!"

"Huh? Since when did you get-" I then realised, "Wait, don't tell me…."

He then smiled and winked, "Yup! The chocolate cake you blew me through just now! And I have to say thank you!"

"Haha! That's just like how I did last time!" Yuya called out amused.

"Hehe, I knew you wouldn't go down that easy Sora, and I have to say this duel's getting pretty fun too!" I laughed, "I now play spell book inside the pot, which lets us both draw 3 cards each." We both drew.

"You're helping me now?"

"Consider it a gift for your earlier efforts." I replied, "Now I place 1 card facedown." As I finished I leapt onto Odd eyes phantom dragon's back, "Guess it's time for us to find action cards!" I said as odd eyes took off and aether took to the sky for a bird's eye view.

"Can't let you get ahead of me!" Sora said as he ran behind me and drew! "Now I place one card facedown!"

"No doubt the same one I returned earlier….." I thought knowing I would have to be careful now.

He then leapt up ad snatched yet another action card which was stuck on the side of an ice cream cone, "Now I activate fusion recovery! This lets me regain polymerisation and edge imp sabres from my graveyard!" The 2 familiar cards rented to his hand again.

"Those 2 again? I kinda hoped you would try something a little more original Sora." I called out slightly disappointed.

"Hehe, well you know the old saying, if it isn't broke don't fix it! Also, prepare to meet another oldie but goodie of mine! With polymerisation I fuse fluffal bear and edge imp sabres!" The 2 monsters rose and fused as blue and yellow orbs, "Claws of the demon! Fangs of the beast! Become one and reveal a new form and power! I Fusion Summon! Appear, horrifying beast that shreds everything! Frightfur bear!" Appearing from the fusion was the giant pink scissor bear who gave an unsettling giggle.

"Yay Frightfur bear!" The kids cheered.

"But…it still doesn't have enough attack points to beat either of Rouge's dragons…." Yuzu thought.

Sora then smirked at his card, "I activate the action spell Candy shower!" A bunch of sweets ranging from gumdrops and lollipops to chocolate bars and candy canes began to rain down from the sky

"Huh?" I was surprised by what I just saw, "How do you plan on fighting me with…ACK!" Aether had suddenly landed on the ground and began munching sweets!

 **2300-1600**

"This action spell lets me force one of your monsters in attack mode right into defence mode!" Sora announced, "Meaning, now it's perfectly vulnerable to attack! Frightfur bear! Attack with pummelling paw!" His bear reacted almost instantly as it charged forward with its paw stretched out!

Hopping on board Odd eyes I then charged towards the side and grabbed an action card from the giant marshmallows, "I activate the action spell evasion! This'll stop Frightfur bear right in its tracks!"

"Now if I can help it!" Sora thought as he narrowed his eyes, "Time for a different approach…." Sora then leapt high onto his monster's paw who then threw him across the field to our amazement!

"Whoa!" everyone went seeing how he did something really daring and not simply on his own, it was in tandem with his monster!

He then snatched another action card from a tall lollipop stick as he jetted past before managing to stop himself , "Nuh uh! Cos I'm gonna activate candy coat!" A giant candy piece appeared in the air before unwrapping itself and then around Frightfur bear. "Now my monster can't be destroyed in battle this turn! Further more it's unaffected by your spell and trap effects this turn! Sweet huh?"

"Oh no!" I gasped in horror as Frightfur bear quickly launched a stretch punch attack that knocked Aether straight through a large gingerbread house and into the pool of fudge! "Aether!" I cried out before turning back to Sora, "I don't like this part…."

"But I do!" Sora stated excitedly, "Now my bear equips your dragon to itself! It's snack time!" Frightfur bear then struck its paw down into the fudge and pulled out my dragon by the neck, and I could only look on as it devoured my precious monster like a string of spaghetti.

 **2200-4500**

"Wow! Now it's 4500 attack points!" Shuzo gasped in amazement as it grew in size in the process.

"I've got you to thank for that Ryuga!" Sora called out, "After seeing you and Yuya duelling in sync with your monsters and even trusting them many times, I thought about trying it out for myself! And it was so much more fun than I first imagined!"

"G…Glad you're enjoying yourself." I stated impressed admiringly despite the turnabout of the situation, "And that move was pretty good too, too bad you can't attack again, which means my life points are safe this turn.

"I wouldn't be resting on your laurels if I were you." he said with a mischievous grin.

"Huh?"

He then sprung for an action card at the side and unfortunately for me, Odd eyes and I weren't fast enough to intercept him and his bear from taking it first! "I now activate wonder chance! Now my frightful bear gets another attack! Guess whose about to get pummelled next!"

"Tch!" I hissed at the growing situation as the huge bear prepared to attack once more! "Let's go hurry!" Odd eyes then growled as we turned around and ran.

"You won't be getting away that easily! After them!" Sora yelled as he leapt onto Frightfur bear, who then roared as it charged forward! It then closed the distance between us pretty fast, pretty much demolishing any candy structure that got in tis way!

"We won't be able to jeep this up…." I sweated until noticing an action card on the ground! Sora then took notice of it, "I won't let you! Get em Frightfur bear!"

The bear towered over us in a matter of seconds as it prepared to slam its huge paw down! Everyone couldn't take their eyes off this for even a second! Would Sora land it? Or will I be able to get out?

BOOM!

A huge cloud of dust rose from the explosion and everyone waited in anticipation. Sora was first to appear from the cloud, and as it cleared-

"Sorry Sora, but no dice!" I called out with a smirk and unscathed though Odd eyes was gone!

"Huh!?" he gasped in surprise at my miraculous escape!

"That makes absolutely no sense!"

"He should have taken damage!"

I then turned to the others, "I almost did, but at the last minute my friend Odd eyes sacrificed himself to take the blow of Frightfur bear's attack, (He launched me ahead like how Sora did earlier, and I was able to grab the action card just in time) And I acquired the action spell Damage Banish! Therefore sparing me from any battle damage!"

"Talk about a really close shave…." Yuya breathed amazed.

"Furthermore, since Odd eyes phantom dragon was a pendulum monster, it went to the extra deck instead of the graveyard , so I'm afraid lunch time is just about over for Freighter bear!" I concluded

"No fair!" Sora whined as he began throwing a mild temper tantrum before taking in a few breaths, "Sigh…Oh well, better luck next time I guess. Still it was actually kinda awesome how you avoided a massive beating by that miracle stunt you pulled off. Have to say you're a lot like Yuya!"

"Hehe thanks." I blushed as I scratched my head.

Yuya then frowned a bit while Yuzu and the kids noticed, "Oh? Is Yuya acting jealous?"

"Hee hee hee!"

"N..No I'm not! Quit it!" He blushed flustered.

I then smiled seeing how everyone was getting along so well, and back to the duel at hand, "My turn now! Draw!" I then played it immediately, "I activate the spell pot of greed! Allowing me to draw 2 cards from my deck." Seeing one I then smirked seeing how it was time to turn things around "Well Sora, I think it's time I brought something new to the table! Prepare for an overscale pendulum summon!" I called out.

Everyone gasped at my words, "O…Overscale pendulum summon!?"

"What's that!?"

"You're about to find out! While I have at least one monster in my pendulum zone and an odd eyes monster faceup in my extra deck, which you so thoughtfully provided when you destroyed Odd eyes phantom dragon earlier, I can pendulum summon this monster regardless of my scales!" Both mirage and persona dragon then generated a purple portal which opened in the sky and a single purple light shot out, "I overscale pendulum summon Odd eyes phantasma dragon!" A new ghostly dragon appeared on my field with 3000 attack points and roared ferociously!

"No way!" Sora gasped as he took a step back in shock.

"Please tell me you didn't teach him that Yuya…." Shuzo asked as he turned to my friend who was then cornered with various suspicious looks.

"He he…err not exactly…though he did kinda help me uncover that special pendulum summon one day when we were practicing." he said scratching his head while sweating like a mad cow, "But since he was more responsible for it, I decided to give him that card anyway in exchange for a….good trade.…haha…" he squeaked as everyone else became even more mad at him.

"YUYA!"

Meanwhile-

"Hehe you surprised me there Ryuga, but your dragon doesn't have enough attack points to overcome my frightful bear!" Sora smirked.

"For now maybe, but as every good duelist knows, a monster's true strength lies in its abilities not its attack points! But we'll get to that soon enough. For now I play my facedown! Emergency provisions! Now by sending any number of spell and traps I control, I gain 1000 life points for each one! So now I sacrifice my pendulum cards Odd eyes mirage and persona dragons!" Both cards exploded onto golden sparks which then reenergised me.

 **Ryuga: 4000-6000**

"Uh oh now Ryuga's life point are 6000!"

"But he sacrificed his own scale….Isn't that a little much?"

"Wh..why'd you get rid of your pendulum scales like that?" Sora asked.

"Simple really, as long as I have at least one odd eyes face up in my extra deck, all I need is any pendulum monster and I can revive phantasma over and over again if you happen to destroy him. Furthermore, whenever he attacks all your monsters lose 1000 attack points for every faceup pendulum monster in my extra deck!" I answered.

Sora stuttered, "They what!?"

"Odd eyes! Show him what you've got with an attack!" I commanded as my dragon took to the air and fired phantasmal flare! "Now the ability fantastic force activates! As I currently have 3 pendulum monsters faceup in my extra deck, Frightfur bear now loses 3000 attack points!" Odd eyes released powerful dark miasma which ensnared the opposing monster who bowled in pain before merging from the fog severely weakened!

 **4500-1500**

"Oh no Sora!" The kids gasped as the attack closed in! Some of them even closing their eyes not wanting to look!

Sora then grit his teeth at my monster's impressive abilities, however he wasn't about to give in that easily. "Nice try but I'm well prepared this time! I activate the continuos trap Album of memories!" The trap flipped up and revealed a blank picture book, which then opened up and revealed the pictures of Fluffal cat, rabbit, penguin and bear. Cat's picture then flashed which then caused my dragon's attack to be neutralised!

"Wh..what just happened!?" I asked caught off guard.

"My trap happened that's what." Sora answered confidently, "While I have this out, I can negate an attack for every fluffal monster in my graveyard!"

"No way!" My eyes widened, "You sent like 4 fluffal monsters to your graveyard earlier when you fusion summoned your monsters!"

"Hehe, that means unless you're able to get 5 monsters out, I'm pretty much untouchable!" Sora boasted while standing right up tall.

"Yay! That means Sora's safe!" Ayu cheered.

"Chances of Ryuga gathering 5 monsters on his next turn is very unlikely so I say Sora's taken a huge lead!" Tatsuya followed.

"Phew….Guess I was worried for nothing, Sora's got this in the bag." Yuzu said gladly.

"Looks that way," Yuya said, "But, if I know Ryuga, he has a tendency to turn the duel around when the time is right. All we can do now is just watch and wait."

"Guess I have no other choice…." I reluctantly took a spell from my hand, "I activate soul taker! This destroys one monster on your field Sora! But in exchange you get 1000 life points! Sorry about this aether…." The spell shot out a ghastly hand which pierced into Frightfur bear's chest and yanked out its soul and back into the spell! The body then exploded into golden sparkles along with the equipped Aether the empowering dragon, which then regenerated some of Sora's health.

 **Sora: 3200-4200**

"Whoa! He actually did it!" Futoshi called out impressed.

"Told you." Yuya added expecting it.

"Gee, I don't know if I should be thanking you or get mad at you…." Sora pondered over the turn of events as he was now left empty but in exchange had more life points.

"While you think it over, I'll place 2 cards facedown." I stated as I ended my turn, "Alright Sora, it's time to see if you can make a comeback now. If you really want to win those free cards, try something I wouldn't expect."

"Whoa…Ryuga's really pushing it…" Yuzu said impressed, also worried about what may happen.

"Then again he's right, Sora's gonna have to up his game way more than that if he's going to have even the slightest chance of winning." Yuya replied as everyone continued to watch.

Sora then narrowed his eyes and grit his teeth, "He's right, Ryuga knows most of my moves already, and with my current hand," Observing it, "There's only one card and combo that just might throw him off, perhaps now's the time to put in a little 'faith' in the cards." He then shuddered with excitement, knowing how his next turn would be decided with one draw and then placed his fingers on his deck, "DRAW!" As he drew and looked at it he grinned, "Okay Ryuga! You said you wanted something new, don't say I didn't warn you cos you asked for it!" Sora grinned deviously, something I hadn't seen since that incident at the Maiami Championship and so felt uneasy, "I use scale 1 Fluffal fusionist and scale 8 fluffla angel to set the pendulum scale!" He declared as he laid out 2 new fluffal cards that were also pendulum monsters that rose in pillars of light!

"P….Pendulum!?" I gasped, this time really surprised.

"Incredible!"

"Shivers!"

"No way!"

Sora smiled, "You wanted something new and now you've got it! Courtesy of Reiji Akaaba himself! With the set scale I can summon level 2-7 monsters all at once! Pendulum summon!" A single light shot out, "Come forth, pilot of doom! Edge imp cotton eater!" A demonic winged purse like monster emerged and flashed its razor sharp teeth!

"That's a new one…." I noted impressed.

"You've seen nothing yet! When special summoned, cotton eater deals you 1000 points of damage for every frightfur monster in my graveyard!"

"Eh!?"

Tatsuya began calculating, "Sora's got 3 of them now! 2 frightfur wolves and now his frightfur bear! Meaning the total damage will be-"

"3000!" Sora finished as Cotton eater fired a barrage of beams from its jaws which knocked me off my feet and into a large pile of pudding!

"AARGH!"

 **Ryuga: 6000-3000**

"He took out half my points in just one move…." I thought to myself feeling impressed as I got up to my feet.

"Get ready to lose them all Ryuga! I activate fluffal angel's pendulum effect! Which lets me revive any fluffal monster I choose from my graveyard! And I choose Fluffal bear!" The pink teddy rose from the grave, "And now with fluffal fusionist's pendulum effect I can fusion summon without polymerisation!"

"Hey! That's just like my performapal trump witch!" Yuya stated as fusionist began to generate a fusion portal.

Both monsters rose into the air and fused as purple and red orbs, "I fusion summon! Appear! Maniacal monster of mayhem! Frightfur daredevil!" Rising from the portal was a red and black demon-like monster with a sharp pitchfork and chain-like tail.

"3000 attack points, it's tied with odd eyes." I said.

"Not for long! I'm about to tip the odds in my favour!" Sora declared as we both noticed 2 action cards which were standing on a pair of twin lollipops in the distance. Hopping on to our monsters, "Race you there Ryuga!"

"You're on Sora!" Odd eyes phantasma dragon and Frightfur daredevil were neck in neck as we each tried to overtake the other!

Futshi began biting his nails while everyone looked on completely focused on the race! "Who's going to get there first!?"

"The suspense is killing me!"

Very soon we both grabbed an action card each! "Awesome!" Sora cheered, "I play the action spell double attack! This doubles the attack of my frightfur daredevil! Meaning this duel's mine for the taking!" The spell supercharged the powerful fusion monster as it grew to a massive size!

 **3000-6000**

"6000…." I sweated anxiously.

"It's been really fun Ryuga but now it's goodbye duel and hello rare cards!" Sora called out, "Frightfur daredevil! Attack!" The monstrous fiend then summoned black and red lightning from the sky before firing it straight at my dragon! Odd eyes then launched me out of harm's way before taking the hit! It roared in pain before finally exploding!

BOOM!

"GRRRRGGHH!" I grunted as the shockwaves rattled me and the smoke covered me once more! Everyone then began celebrating and jumping for joy.

"Yay!"

"Free cards for life here we come!"

While Yuzu and the others celebrated she immediately noticed Yuya edging closer to the window. "Y..Yuya?" she asked curiously as she walked up to him.

"It can't be over that easily," Yuyz then focused hard on the duel, unconvinced that it would end so soon, "No way, its not over yet."

Meanwhile on the duel field, Sora wasn't as vigilant, "Oh yeah! I win! Woo hoo!" Sora cheered enjoying himself, "Now to-huh!?" He then took a step back shocked by what he then witnessed.

"What's the matter Sora, expecting me to go somewhere?" I then leapt out of the dust to everyone's bewilderment, "Sorry to disappoint you guys but I'm not going down that easily. Neither is getting those cards!" I said smirking.

"Huh!?"

"That can't be! The difference between your monsters was 3000! You should have no life points left!"

"How'd you get out without a scratch!?" Sora asked.

"Simple, the action card I acquired was-" I revealed it, "Encore! This allowed me to copy the effect of the damage banish I played earlier!"

"Therefore he was pretty much safe the entire time, and Sora's attack was doomed to fail…" Yuya concluded. With that the others began to boo me….

"How could you tease us like that!?"

"You're no fun!"

I then sweat dropped at the unusual remarks from my friends, "Seriously guys?"

"Hehe….sorry Ryuga….?" Yuzu and Yuya chuckled nervously hoping I wouldn't feel too bad.

"It's fine," I replied undeterred, "You can't always win the crowd over, that's part of being a pro duelist after all."

"True…." They replied.

Sora then smiled, "Heh, I almost had you that's for sure, but I guess we'll just have to hold the victory party a little later. Nevertheless, you may have avoided battle damage but you're not getting away unactehd! When Frightfur daredevil desroys a monster in battle, you take 1000 points of damage!" A sudden bolt of lightning struck down from the sky and shocked me!

"GAAARGH!" I cried out loud as the energy surged through me before falling to my knees! "Urgh…."

 **Ryuga: 3000-2000**

"Whoa! Didn't see that coming!" Shuzo gasped.

"Gave me the shivers!" Futoshi shook.

Sora then continued, "One more thing you should know, if Daredevil ever leaves the field due to one of your cards, you'll take 500 points of damage for each frightfur monster in my graveyard! So when it gets added to the 3 frightfurs already inside."

"Tch! He's right….If I destroy it without taking out all his life points first I'll lose instantly…." I thought as I grit my teeth frustratedly, "This really is a tight corner I've been backed into…."

"Basically you've gotta make your next shot count, but with album of memories on my field the chances of you managing to pull it off is pretty much zilch." Sora said cockily, "So tell you what? How about you just let us at those cards and we call it day?" he suggested, "Trust me, you'd save us both a lot of trouble and yourself a lot of trouncing." He then closed his eyes and smirked feeling victory was in his sights, but the answer he received immediately woke him back to reality.

"No way Sora!" I called out firmly to show I was serious, "I'm not about to quit just yet!"

"Huh?" He then looked to me surprised before placing an arm on his hip, "Are you seriously going through with this, all because of losing profits?" Sora asked with a raised eyebrow, "Isn't that a little much for you?"

"Yeah, what gives?" Yuzu asked just as curiously.

"Never thought he'd actually go this far to protect his business…." Shuzo commented.

"This has nothing to do with that! Just what kind of person do you guys actually take me for!" I yelled shocking them all, "A duel's never over until the last card is drawn! In fact we're just getting to the really fun part! Like you said, this is practically my last turn and the card I draw will decide it all! A duel can't get more exciting than this!" I continued firmly, "Besides, I made a pact to never surrender a duel even if it seems impossible, otherwise I'd be disgracing myself as a duelist! And if I believe my deck will answer me! I'm seeing this match through win or lose!"

Yuya then smiled having his hard touched by my words, "Ryuga…."

"That's just…beautiful." Yuzu said as she clasped her hands together.

Principal Shuzo and the kids felt the same way and were beginning to have slight changes of heart, "Gee…I feel kinda bad now for not rooting for him."

"Me too…."

"Sorry Ryuga! Please forgive us!"

"And that's my answer Sora! I'm staying in and that's that." I said with a determined smile showing my resolve.

Sora said nothing for a while before closing his eyes and grinning joyfully, "Hehe hahaha! So it's the hard way out then? Guess it was silly of me to think you'd actually forfeit, should've known you better." He then got back into serious mode, "Okay then Ryuga, if that's the way you really want it then I won't stop you from trying to win! Now, come on and entertain us!"

"YAY!" Everyone cheered on the outside, "But still we're rooting for Sora too! So now hard feelings okay?"

"Hope I don't disappoint," Looking at my deck, I then realised something, "Bahamut…I haven't heard your voice since the start of this duel…why?" In this situation he'd normally come to me in order to give me support and his aid…so what made it things different this time? I then shook my head, "Can't worry about that, still the fact remains I really need you now. But if you won't answer me, I'll just have to make it happen on my own!"

"DRAW!" I drew and looked at it, "I play the spell card of sanctity! With this all players draw until they hold 6 cards!"

"That's a pretty gutsy move."Shuzo commented.

"Yeah, that will give Sora even more options of attack when his turn comes around." Yuya added.

"On the other hand, since Ryuga's hand is empty he'll be getting a fresh hand of 6! The question is, will they be what he needs to turn the duel around this turn?" Yuzu concluded.

Me and Sora then drew, "This'll do." i stated as I took 2 cards, "I now use scale 2 oaf dragon magician and scale 5 noble dragon magician to set the pendulum scale!" I declared as I laid out both magician monsters which rose in pillars of light.

Sora then took notice of my card, "H..hey! Noble dragon magician is a tuner monster! You cheated!" he called out.

"I said I wasn't going to use any other summon apart from pendulum in this duel, and I intend to keep it that way. I never said anything about not using them as pendulum scales." I corrected to his dismay, "Next I activate oaf dragon magician's pendulum effect! Allowing me to add odd eyes phantom dragon from my extra deck to my hand!" The card ejected itself from my extra deck and back to my hand, "Next I activate my facedown! Pendulum reborn! This brings back a pendulum monster from my extra deck or graveyard! So welcome back Odd eyes phantasma dragon!" My previous dragon returned to the field and roared loudly.

"Hey, why didn't Ryuga just pendulum summon phantasma?" Ayu asked puzzled.

"Yeah, doesn't it have that overscale pendulum ability where it can be revived regardless of the scale?" Futoshi followed.

"Because you can only pendulum summon once per turn." Tatsuya answered, "My guess is, is that Ryuga is trying to save it for later."

"You might be right about that," Yuya followed as they continued to observe, "After all, Ryuga tends to be very flexible in his duelling style and adapts according to the situation, not to mention also putting a lot of faith in his cards. Who knows what he's planning now…."

I then took the card I needed for my combo to work, "Now I play wavering eyes! This destroys all pendulum zone cards then activates effects in succession depending on how many were just destroyed!" A huge wind whipped up with dark eyes, "First, you take 500 points of damage Sora!"

"Urgh!" Sora grunted as all 4 pendulum cards shattered before us!

 **Sora: 4200-3700**

"That's not so bad…." he grunted shaking off the dust from his jacket.

"Now all their scales are gone…." Shuzo commented.

"That's only the beginning, next, I can add one pendulum monster from my main deck to my hand!" A card ejected and I looked at it with narrowed eyes, "Time to get serious," I thought to myself before continuing, "Now one card on the field gets banished! And I choose that wall of a trap, Album of memories!" The trap was then sucked into a dimensional portal. "With that out of the way, Frightfur daredevil is now wide open for an attack!" I declared pointing out at it, "Finally, I can add another copy of wavering eyes from my deck to my hand!" A second copy ejected.

"Maybe you've cleared the way for an attack, but don't forget, do so much as remove Frightfur daredevil from the field and you lose automatically from its special ability!" Sora smirked unworried that his strategy still wasn't affected in the slightest.

"I'm well aware of that Sora, but I wouldn't be so confident if I were you though." I said while smiling myself.

"Wh…why's that?" he asked nervously, quickly noticing my sudden growing confidence.

"You're about to find out! I activate the trap Pendulum switch!" My last facedown flipped up, "Once per turn, this trap allows me to either special summon a monster from my pendulum zone or place a pendulum monster on my field into my pendulum zone! So for now I'll be placing my Odd eyes phantasma dragon into my left pendulum zone!" The trap glowed as Phantasma vanished and reappeared on one pendulum zone. "Now I'll complete the pendulum scale with odd eyes phantom dragon!" The second odd eyes monster appeared in the opposite zone.

"Their scales are only 0-4, they can't possibly summon anything powerful enough to beat my Frightfur daredevil." aid Sora unimpressed.

"If left them as they are perhaps, that's why I'm going to be changing the rules a bit!" I announced.

"Huh!?" Everyone exclaimed.

"Don't worry guys, I'm don't intend to cheat," I quickly stated hoping they wouldn't get any wrong ideas, "I plan on using the spell Pendulum shift! This changes Phantom dragon's pendulum scale from 4 right to 10!" The number 4 soon climbed rapidly to 10!

"Now Ryuga can summon monsters from levels 1-9!" Yuya gasped.

"Wait…there's only one monster I know that you would use with a scale that large…." Sora realised, as everyone soon picked up on that.

I then clapped, "Well done Sora, I see you haven't forgotten. You never had a shot against him before, but now you've earned the honour of facing my most trusted partner!" I announced, "Pendulum summon!" A single light shot out from the portal! "Appear! The embodiment of my very resolve! The heart of the dragon emperor! Bahamut! Sacred dragon of hope!" My ace partner emerged from the portal and let out an almighty roar!

"B..Bahamut!?" Everyone gasped unexpectedly.

"Remember him Sora?" I asked now seeing the odds more in my favour.

"Y..Yeah I do…." Sora gulped never expecting me to call him out, "But I thought you weren't going to use him! Didn't you say your deck's all new!?"

"It seems you misunderstood what I meant again," I replied, "I said I was going to use a new deck to duel you today, but I never said I wasn't going to use him in this deck."

"Oh boy…." he sweated.

I then looked up to my dragon, "Bahamut, where were you when I needed you just now?" I asked suspiciously.

He then looked back at me with a regretful expression, "Forgive me Ryuga, for not answering you earlier cry for help. I was….occupied with matters I had to take care of. But I'll be sure to make up for it here and now." he said.

"Hope so too." I replied feeling assured enough, "Now I normal summon Bahamut! Thereby unsealing his gemini effect!" He was then bathed in the white light of gemini. "Battle! Go Bahamut! Attack Frightfur Daredevil with Supreme Sacred Strike!" I commanded without any fear or hesitation.

"Very well!" Bahamut obeyed without question and fired his powerful beam!

Everyone then gasped at my outrageous move, "But wait! Even if it's a draw, it'll still change nothing!"

"Ryuga stop now!"

"Relax guys!" I called out, "I activate odd eyes phantom dragon's pendulum effect! When a monster battles, it gains power equal to the attack points of another odd eyes monster in my pendulum zone! So now Bahamut gains Phantasma dragon's 3000 extra attack points!" Both dragons glowed purple as Bahamut acquired tremendous power from the boost and roared!

 **3000-6000**

"6000 attack points!?" Sora gasped seeing how this move was now being used against him.

"But that's still not enough to win, Bahamut needs more power if he's going to end it here and now." Tatsuya stated observingly.

"What will Ryuga do now?" Ayu wondered.

I then saw an action card hanging from the edge of a candy cane, "Quick Bahamut lets go!" I yelled but to my surprise, he didn't move at all!

"H..Hey! What's wrong!?" I shouted again.

"H..Huh!? Wh…what!?" he said as he shook his head, "R..Ryuga?"

"What are you doing!? Gah! Forget it! The action card quick!" I yelled impatiently.

"Action card?" he then turned his head around looking until he spotted it, "I'm on it!" We then swooped down, but Sora had already noticed our plan and had taken advantage of the opportunity.

"Oh no you don't! Not this time!" He grunted as he leapt from gingerbread house roof to roof, as we both closed in on the card, Sora unfortunately managed to snatched it out of my reach!

"NO!" I gasped as the opportunity had slipped through my fingers! As I tuned around, Bahamut's beam then pierced through the fiend fusion monster causing it to explode!

BOOM!

 **Sora: 3700-700**

"GAAAHH!" Sora cried as the explosion knocked him back into a pool of chocolate milk before smirking as he climbed out, "Tough luck Ryuga! The action card was full turn! Meaning if you managed to use it, you'd been able to double the battle damage this turn and win!" Sora said revealing it.

"Tch!" I hissed.

"And since you destroyed Frightfur daredevil it's special ability activates! Now you take 2000 points of damage!" The spirits of the 4 frightfur monsters rose form the graveyard and then charged at me!

"Oh no…." I panicked as I widened my eyes at the incoming enraged spirits before looking around frantically for any chance I may have, until noticing an action card floating over a huge floating ice cream cone over the butterscotch pudding swamp. "It's do or die now! Bahamut quick let's go!" To my surprise I just saw Bahamut staying stationary as if he was deep in thought.

"B..Bahamut!?" I asked nervously as the spirits continued to get closer to us!

"What's he doing just staying there!?" Everyone wondered why Bahamut and I were basically acting like easy targets! If I was trying to excite them, then I was doing a crazy way of doing it.

"If he's trying to wait till last minute before moving I'd say he'd better do it now!"

"Bahamut!" I yelled at the top of my voice.

My dragon then shook his head as he was snapped out of his daydreaming, "Gah! Sorry Ryuga!" he gassed frantically. We then swooped as fast as we could with the demon spirits hot on our trail! "I can't shake them! Persistent demons!" he yelled as he flew as fast as he could!

"Over the swamp there!" I called out as he finally noticed the card.

My dragon then hesitated, "Are you sure? If that card isn't the one you have in mind then-"

"Just go!" I cried out as he obeyed without hesitation! Everyone was at thee die of their seats watching the climax unfolding! Would I be able to escape or would this be my own undoing?

At the very last second I finally grabbed! Flipping it over, "Too bad Sora! I activate acceleration! This now negates the damage you intended for me to receive!" Bahamut and I sped out of the way avoiding the direct damage just a hair's width before collision!

"NOOO! It was so close too!" Sora cried as I avoided the enraged demon spirits!

The grand finale had now come before us, "Now Bahamut's special ability activates! When he destroys a monster summoned from the extra deck in battle you take all of its attack points as damage!" Bahamut then absorbed the remaining essence of Frightful daredevil into his body before charging the finishing beam in his jaws!

Sora's eyes then widened clearly having forgotten that major detail about my ace monster, "Uh…oh…."

"Go! Sacred rage!" Bahamut then let lose his entire attack without hesitation at the helpless boy!

BOOM!

"Yeargh!" Sora cried as he was blasted away and into the chocolate milk moat again!

SPLASH!

 **Sora: 700-0**

 **Ryuga: WIN!**

"Phew….we did it…" I breathed exhausted and relieved before falling to my knees.

"And the winner is….R..Ryuga…" Shuzo said, as if the words were almost too painful to mouth out.

"WAAAAAHHHH!" The You Show trio cried at their hope being crushed while Yuzu and Yuya sighed, "Sora lost…."

"Looks like me and the boys are gonna have to beg mom for a bigger allowance now…" Yuya moaned.

"Guess that means were eating home tonight Yuzu. Don't worry, I'll be sure to cook dinner better this time…." Shuzo followed, with Yuzu and the girls shuddering at the thought of having to endure her dad's mystery meals again…..

As the field began to dissipate slowly I then turned to Bahamut with a suspicious expression, "Bahamut, what's going on? You were awfully distracted just now and we almost lost because of it. Earlier during the tag tournament you were at full focus and top form, what happened now?"

I then noticed my dragon had a slightly nervous expression as he tried to figure out what to say, "Umm…It's nothing really…." I then narrowed my eyes seriously at him, which made him increasingly nervous. "I…I simply got distracted looking at all those sweets that's all!" He yelled out suddenly at my surprise, "I couldn't help but eye what's around us, for I…haven't had anything to eat since the tournament just now!"

His words were so out of character I couldn't help but sweat drop at his remark, not to mention he couldn't quite keep a straight face. "I see…." I trying to sound convinced, "Let's not let it happen again okay? We were only lucky to be able to make a comeback."

"You have my word it won't happen again." Bahamut replied feeling relieved, believing I had bought it, as well as feeling very embarrassed to make up such a story.

"Anyways thanks for the help, without you I would've no doubt lost. Go ahead and take a nice rest." I concluded.

My dragon then nodded, "Thank you…Your kindness is always appreciated." He said as he disappeared along with the field.

Bahamut wasn't the best liar I knew, that honor goes to his sister Tiamat, but for him to even try doing so must mean he has an important reason or motive in mind…Whatever it was now wasn't the time for it, I'd best leave it at that for now…..

Meanwhile, Sora walked back into the room with a depressed look, "Sorry guys, I let us down….." he groaned defeatedly while hanging his head.

"It's okay Sora," Yuzu said comforting him with kind words.

"You did your best, and that's all we could ask from you." Yuya added as he patted his back, "How about I treat you to breakfast at my house tomorrow morning? Would that make you feel any better?"

"I guess….But I really wanted that special fusion structure deck." he grumbled annoyed.

As I walked back in, seeing their sadness kinda touched me a bit so once again I went easy on them, "You know what guys? I've changed my mind," I said catching everyone's attention, "Since you put on such a terrific fight and effort and showed me how determined you were, I decided that I'll give out a free bonus pack to each of you as consolation today."

"For real!?" they exclaimed wth bright eyes.

I nodded in response to their answer with a smile.

"Yay! I knew our friendship would come through! I just knew it!" Yuya cheered while the others began dancing around and jumping for joy.

I then changed to a devious smirk, "With purchases." I added at the end.

"EEEEEEHHHH!?" they all gasped in shock as if their dreams had been shattered once more.

"Hehe, sorry but even I'm not that generous." I chuckled amused seeing their surprised reactions. A wave of negativity soon filled the entire room as everyone then glared at me with frustrated eyes. (Building up their hopes and then smashing them down again, while I knew it was wrong in a way, it just SO good to mess with them once in a while. Guess parts of my other selves really are rubbing off on me more than I thought haha….)

 **(Later on)**

"Here you go Yoko, consider this a token of my appreciation." I said to her as I handed over today's money earnings from card sales.

"That's very thoughtful of you Ryuga, but really this is necessary." Yoko replied, "Nobody ever asked you to pay us back, you really owe us nothing."

"I'm only doing this out of free will, after all, I feel it's fair since I've been living with you guys for over a year now and that I should pay you guys back." I replied sincerely to her.

She then smiled, "Hee hee, well if you truly feel that way, it seems I have no choice but to accept. Such a good boy you are Ryuga." She said as she took the money, "Alright, time for dinner now you two." As the 3 of us ate at the table while the family pets began eating in the corner. Laid out before us was very well cooked ribeye steak alongside leftover pancake sandwiches from lunch, I then sank my teeth into the juicy food and it was almost as taking a bite of heaven itself. A well-rewarded feast after today's duels at the arena and You Show. I then noticed Yuya wasn't enjoying his food as much as I did. In fact, he sat there chewing his food without so much as a smile. "Hey Yuya, you haven't said a word since we started eating."

Yoko then followed, "Is there anything bothering you dear? If something's on your mind you should let it out." she asked concerned as he stuck his fork into a piece of meat rather hard before chewing aggressively.

"I'm fine mom…." he groaned before he turned to me with narrowed eyes, "Those packs better be worth it Ryuga….It costed us nearly our entire week's allowance." Yuya grumbled as he ate his dinner rather begrudgingly.

"That's all he's mad about?" I sweat dropped. Knowing him, I'm sure he'll be over to by morning, after all, Yuya's not the kind of guy to let negativity bother him for long, in fact once he opens his new pack I'm sure his mood will take a complete turn for the better. I then looked around finding the scene to be rather dull since no one decided to talk so I initiated, "You know, dinner's kinda lonely without your dad to entertain us Yuya." I said trying to get his mind off today.

"I agree, without him pulling off his fancy tricks during meal time even I can't fully enjoy this delicious steak that mum made." Yuya added while swallowing a mouthful of food.

"Well you know your father," Yoko added while she ate, "Even before he went missing, he often had to make many overseas trips far from home to continue his entertaining career and spreading smiles to people worldwide, now with the 4 dimensions connected he's busier than ever trying to spread our family duel philosophy to all people in all worlds."

"Which is why he left you and I to take care of the pendulum dimension and to guide them while he's away." I finished.

"Yeah, but I'm sure he's here with us in spirit, especially when we duel, no matter how far or how long he's gone, I know he'll come back soon." Yuya said feeling more positive and energetic than before. (Just what I had hoped for.) Turning to me, "Come on Ryuga, let's look forward to another day good work tomorrow!"

"You said it Yuya." I replied just as eagerly as we ate together much more positively.

 **(That night)**

As everyone had fallen deep asleep, Bahamut stood by himself in the spirit world looking over the horizon and the azure waters of the sea, this happened to be his favourite spot as the view helped give him a sense of tranquility and peace of mind whenever he was overcome with much stress or hurt. Not long after that, he was soon joined by his siblings Fafnir, Jormangandr and Tiamat who found him gazing over the sea and night sky.

"So this is where you are…." Hearing the voice he turned round to see the 3 other dragons behind him.

"Figured we'd find you here brother. You've been awfully quiet and secretive lately, that certainly is out of character for you brother dear." Tiamat said politely.

"What is it you want?" he asked uncaringly while turning his attention back to the sea, "I am fine. There is nothing wrong with me I can assure you."

Tiamat then smirked, "Hee hee, you're a very bad liar Bahamut. Keeping truths is one thing but to think you'd actually try to do that to Ryuga earlier, I'm sure he knows it too but decided to respect your feelings, since he knew it was serious if you would try something like that on him. Believe me because I'm an expert liar myself." Tiamat hissed proudly to the dismay of Fafnir and Jormangandr.

"Heh, we really do know each other that well." he chuckled, A"though, even though he is complete there is still a piece of his old memory which he still hasn't regained, and it might be something that should stay forgotten for him, otherwise it may bring him only sadness…."

"How does that memory concern you? Surely it can't be anything significant when he's already regained the majority of his former life." The hydra asked.

Bahamut then took in a deep breath and closed his eyes, "Sigh….Tiamat, do you truly not remember what today is?"

"Today?" she asked finding it odd, "Isn't today the same day Master Dahaka and Ray defeated Zarc many years ago and last year for the second and last time?"

"It's more than that Tiamat." Jormangandr stated seriously while Fafnir walked up to Bahamut, trying to comfort him. It was only when he held out a closed hand and began to open it. Inside his plan revealed a blue transparent icicle gem and inside emanated energy streams which flowed like a river did. They all instantly recognised what it was.

"That crystal…." Tiamat's eyes widened at it in shock, "So…you actually kept a piece of her all this time."

Bahamut nodded, "I never stopped thinking about her, even when we waged war against fusion dimension and then putting a stop to Zarc after. And yet, only now….have I truly begun to wonder, was what we did….really the right thing to do?"

 **(Flashback)**

As Bahamut visualised, long ago, alongside him and his siblings lived a fifth dragon. She was a long serpentine sea dragon with powerful foreflippers similar to that of plesiosaur's at the front and some smaller ones further along her long elegant sea snake like body. Her head was a narrow and pointed and her upper head formed 3 sets of spikes stretching our across her face and green eyes. (Making it seem like a mask on top) Her upper body was bright blue while her underside was mostly snobbish white. She also had a number of fin like features alongside her body as well as being embedded with many sparkling blue icicle like scales and her tail ended with a fin similar to that of a whale or mermaid's. She sparkled like a crystal of the sea and was very beautiful, however, what separated her from the others was that she was completely unrelated to them by blood.

They all lived together in perfect harmony, and the one she was closest with happened to be none other than Bahamut himself. However, one day….it all changed…..When she was then sealed away into a tablet stone tablet against her will, she then shed a tear as she looked on and saw the other 4 dragons looking on. Unbeknownst to her, Bahamut was being torn apart from the inside and turned away, unable to handle the torturous sight for much longer.

 **(Present** )

"Don't blame yourself what happened Bahamut," Jormangandr said, "It was Master Dahaka who was lacking in the ability to master her at the time, and it was his decision to do so."

"Also under the circumstances, with the fate of the world at stake, we had to make sure we couldn't risk having anything to hold us back in the fight against Zarc, so it had to be done. With time being so short and Zarc about to destroy what was left of humanity, we had no choice left." Fafnir added. (It may have been against her will but it was the only way to keep her out of the battle otherwise she would've insisted and got hurt severely)

"Even master Dahaka didn't want to go through with it, and neither did she," Tiamat spoke seriously on one side before her other head became more meek and vulnerable, "But….it was the only way to protect her from any possible harm. And besides, the seal he placed will ensure of it too and that she won't be released by the wrong hands so easily, so I'm certain she is very much alive and safe….somewhere..…"

"My only hope though is that she realises it and doesn't hold any cold emotion towards you for not standing up for her." Jormangandr said sadly.

Bahamut then stood up no longer feeling week and soft, "I am certain she is alive though not in this world or any of the other dimensions, she may even be lost between the dimensions or in a completely different realm…. But one thing I do know…..Is that no matter how long it takes," He then turned his eyes to the crystal in his hand before grasping it tightly, "I will find you again…my precious snow gem….And I won't rest until you are together with us again….Leviathan." Bahamut concluded as he and the other dragons looked over the sea with the moon's reflection and starry sky on the calm waters of the sea.

 **(Meanwhile at LEO Corp)**

It was late at night and the entire tower of LDS was beginning to shut down for the night, all except for the control room which operated 24/7 in order to maintain constant visual surveillance over the 4 dimensions. Nakajima stood before the big screen in the centre of the room as the many operators were working hard over a detected anomaly. The back door soon opened and stepping in was none other than the president of LDS and former leader of the lancers himself, Reiji Akaba, "I assume you have an urgent reason to call me this late at night Nakajima?" he asked seriously while pushing up his glasses in front of sleepy eyes. Still feeling tired and very tense, also having to step out of his room without waking his mother or baby Reira was somewhat further added to the inconvenience for him.

"Forgive me sir for disturbing your night," Nakajima apologised, "But I thought you should take a look at what we just uncovered minutes ago." Pointing to the large screen, it then shifted to the outskirts of Maiami, (The very spot where Yuya and I had our reunion duel over a year ago) which Reiji recognised instantly as he had recorded that very match that day. His eyes then widened in surprise to see a distortion in the fabric of space swirling into a portal like shape, while enveloped in blue energy."Nakajima, is that?"

His assistant replied, "We can't be sure yet, though according to scans, it's giving off similar readings to the dimensional gate at LDS. However, energy levels are erratic and inconsistent compared to those from synchro, fusion and xyz."

"A portal to another dimension….how interesting….." Reiji narrowed his eyes, "Do you have a fix on the type of energy readings from it?"

Nakajima nodded, "We do, the energy signals may be abnormal but they give clear evidence of an extremely concentrated presence of Ritual summoning."

"Ritual….The only special summon method that doesn't originate from the extra deck. One of the very first developed in the history of duel monsters…I once believed it to be a method exclusive to the pendulum dimension though there were some instances of it being utilised in fusion. To think we've managed to discover an entirely new realm focused on the rarest summoning method, on the very same day Zarc was defeated and when the pendulum dimension was born…." Reiji pondered to himself at this significant discovery.

"What are your orders sir? How would you like us to proceed?" Nakajima asked awaiting his boss' instructions. Reiji then closed his eyes and thought for a long moment on what the best course of action would be to take under such peaceful circumstances. "We have yet to determine if this world would pose any threat like fusion did to the other dimensions….last thing we would want is to have another conflict or even a new demon emerge to destroy us all emerge from this world, but only now has everyone in the 4 worlds completely put the war and destruction behind them, instilling any further alarm in this time is something I would prefer to avoid…..hmmm…." Finally, opening them again with a firm decision in mind, "Get me my father, tell him we have urgent matters to discuss."

"As you wish sir." Nakajima replied as he had the operators patch in a call to Academia.

 **And there's the duel, hoped you found it enjoyable and easy to follow, and the proceeding to the main plot, now you know what the new dimension will be in this OC special. Stay tuned for future chapters!**

 **Just to inform, this all takes place on the a year later on the same day Zarc was beaten which was also when the pendulum dimension was formed. The duel between Yuya and Reiji also happened within that same day while the match he had with Ryuga occurred days later after that.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

As the morning sun rose over the city skies I then opened my eyes and woke up. Normally I'd be fully rejuvenated after a good night's rest and excited to see a new day and adventure awaiting me, but today….for some reason I just didn't feel the same. As I sat on my bed staring through the window straight for nearly half an hour, I was then greeted by a familiar friend.

"Ryuga?" Bahamut asked as he appeared before me worried, "Is something wrong? It isn't like you to be lacking in enthusiasm in the face of a new day."

"I just woke up with a very weird vibe Bahamut, yet I'm not quite sure how to describe it." I relied thinking about the matter more carefully, "As if, there's still something missing….Something from my former life that I've forgotten, but I can't quite put my finger on it."

Finding the statement odd coming from me, Bahamut began to have doubts and suspicions, "That's impossible, you've already reunited the 4 dragons and counterparts that you once separated into did you not? You couldn't possibly be incomplete."

I then thought for a moment but for some reason, while he was right I still felt as though a piece of myself was still missing…. "Yeah, but still, I feel as though…there's someone left. Someone I once knew yet I can't remember whom. All I do recall is…water…ice…and a gentle cold breeze." I muttered as Bahamut widened his eyes in surprise, "Could he….Know as well?"

I then shook my head shrugging it off, "Maybe it's nothing…." I said to myself, but before I could have second thoughts-

"Yuya! Ryuga! Breakfast is ready!" Yoko called from downstairs signalling the time to eat.

"Oh well, that can wait till later. Can't afford to have Yuya take all the pancakes for himself again." I said eagerly as I hopped out of bed and raced outside for the table!

As I shut the door behind me, Bahamut stood with a serious expression, "Hmmm….It couldn't be…could it?" he then shook his head in denial, "No, it isn't possible. I haven't been able to sense any energy changes the entire time in pendulum dimension for the past months, if it was her, I would definitely know it." He said as he faded away.

Yuya and I had already sat at the table now waiting breakfast and were soon joined by a certain house guest. "Sora, don't you ever get tired eating at my house all the time?" Yuya questioned finding it rather annoying that the little boy was still freeloading at his home and taking advantage of his mother's kindness.

"Yeah, surely Academia would provide a healthy breakfast necessary for its duelists to be in peak fighting form right? Why not eat back there?" I suggested finding it odd that he already had a home yet decided to mooch off us.

"No way!" He cried, "Nothing ever beats Yoko's cooking! Heck, even Academia's best chefs don't even come close to what she makes! All they do is serve us the same specialised food diets needed for growing soldiers and warriors! Not even serving any kind of dessert or sugar goodie! If I had a choice I'd choose this awesome home over Academia's cafeteria any day of the week!" He proclaimed confidently to our surprise in his devotion.

"Awww aren't you the sweetest Sora." Yoko giggled as she came up to the 3 of us with plates filled with delicious buttermilk pancakes and waffles, "Here you go, eat up you three!"

"Thank you for the food Yoko!" Sora cried out eagerly as he received his food, "You're the best!" he cheered.

"Why thank you. Hey maybe I should actually take you in just like En, Core and all the other hungry little ones! You'll be part of the family just fine!" Yoko suggested happy, to have a third kid in the family.

Yuma's eyes widened in horror, "MOM NO!" he cried.

"Aww what's the matter? Afraid I won't leave any for you?" Sora giggled, "Hehe, even I'm not that greedy." Looking at me, Sora then frowned before grabbing the bottles of chocolate syrup and honey and to my surprise he began to squirt them both all over his waffles in a shape similar to a fusion portal before sandwiching it together with a pair of pancakes and munching down on the colossal clump of sweetness like a ravenous wolf!

Yuya and I looked at him completely bewildered, we knew he'd come up with all sorts of crazy creations during meal time, but this….this really took the cake…"Umm Sora, you're not actually still sour about me beating you the other day are you?" I asked.

"No! What makes you say that?" He mumbled while his face was stuffed like a squirrel's.

"Gee I don't know…maybe because it's written all over your face?" Yuya added while our friend pouted.

"Keep stuffing yourself with too many sweets and you may need to go through Shuzo's hot-blooded training to get you back in shape, or worse, you'd need to see a dietician or even a doctor." I said both in a concerned manner as well as a bit of joke.

"Hmph!" he grunted as he continued on with his food while we were a bit more modest with ours. Though trying to eat while doing our best to ignore his smacking and munching noises was even that more challenging than an action duel in sword cemetery. Just when we managed to tolerate his munching and were just about to enjoy our food, the peace was suddenly interrupted-

BEEP! BEEP!

"Is that the phone?" Yuya asked looking up from his plate of food.

"No it's my duel disk." I said as I went up to the nearby couch to get it. When I picked it up, I instantly took notice of the caller, "It's from Reiji." As soon as I had spoken that name, Yoko, Sora and Yuya turned to me.

"Reiji?" Yuya spoke up surprised.

"What could he possibly want so early in the morning?" Yoko asked curiously, "Did he say anything else?"

I then opened the email, "Hmm, says he wants to see me about something…classified." I read out loud.

"Oh! Is it some secret mission or undercover operation!? If so then I'm the guy for the job!" Sora called out excitedly.

"Sorry Sora," I apologised, "It clearly says he wants it to be just me. Strange though…." As I finished, Sora's smile vanished and he went back to stuffing his face even more so with food, in hope of relieving his disappointment.

Yuya then raised an eyebrow in suspicion, "If it was something that serious wouldn't he inform all of us lancers?" Yuya questioned.

He did have a point, despite being the leader of the lancers, Reiji had his fair share of secrets that he kept from the rest from the rest of the team. Mostly because he preferred to put in more faith in his own plans as long as we go through with them the way he wanted. Wonder what the deal could be now? "Whatever it is, I think I'd best go now. Wouldn't be polite to keep old scarf man waiting." I said as I stood up and took my duel disk along the way, "Tell the others I won't be at You Show today." I said as I headed for the door.

"I'll be sure to fill you guys in." Yuya finished as I shut it behind me. "Hey Sora! Those are mine!" He gasped as he turned his head to find his friend trying to steal his pancakes.

"You snooze you lose!" Sora chuckled as he was about take a big bite out of his newly acquired treasure.

"No you don't!" Yuya yelled as they engaged in a sword battle over the pancake prize, with forks instead…..As Yoko sighed while shaking her head in disapproval before smiling weakly, "Some things never change…."

 **(Ryuga POV)**

I had been walking through the streets straight from the Sakaki residence and soon stood before the Leo Corp tower which stood in the direct centre of the entire city. "LDS, it's been a while since I came here." I said looking up, "Well, time to see what Reiji wants." I then strolled up the stairs towards the front door and was greeted by a familiar person wearing sunglasses and a suit, "Nakajima?"

"Welcome Ryuga Shirogane, we have been expecting you." he bowed and said respectfully before opening the door, "Please right this way." I then followed him inside and he guided me to the elevator where he typed a code in a security box which then gave access to the top secret control room which overlooked all events in the 4 dimensions. As we made it to the right floor it then opened and we stepped outside into the computer filled room, then took a small mobile platform which brought us up to where Reiji had been awaiting us. He sat in his main chair looking on the screens before turning around to us. "I have brought Ryuga as you requested sir." My escort said respectfully with a bow.

"Thank you Nakajima," Reiji replied, "Now if you don't mind giving us a moment of privacy."

"Of course sir." He bowed before taking his leave through the elevator. As soon as he left, it was just me and Reiji alone in the control room. I hadn't felt such a tense feeling in the air for a very long time since the war, hopefully the reason he called me here wasn't anything that significant again.

"Hi Reiji, glad to see you are doing well." I started nicely hoping to lighten the mood and also out of simple curiosity, "How's Reira doing these days? Haven't seen her for a while."

"She is doing very well, thank you for your concern." He replied gladly to my surprise, "As of now my mother is spending some quality time bonding with her in the park," He then flipped to a screen revealing the park where people were enjoying usual leisure activities. There one of the security cameras caught of sight of Henrietta pushing her on a stroller while smiling and and talking to her, who responded with happy giggles and baby sounds.

"Aww is that just sweet." I commented, "In no time at all she should be back to her old self again."

"Indeed," Another voice spoke out which sounded very familiar. As I turned I was caught off guard at the sight of another man stepping out of the shadows. Someone I recognised immediately in his purple uniform and cape, as well as his metallic monocle.

"L..Leo?" I couldn't believe what I had just seen.

"It has been a very long while Ryuga, and it's good to see you bonding well with both Yuzu and Yuya." He said with a light smile, "It pleases my heart to see my daughter now growing up amongst great friends, despite the disaster that befell us all a year ago. Everything in the fusion dimension is well too, the You Show branch there has become an official school and very soon the fusion dimension will be filled with just as many smiles and joy as the other dimensions." He said pleased at how much progress had been made to heal the scars of battle from all the 4 worlds.

I then smiled gladly at the warm news wasn't limited to just pendulum, but all 4 dimensions were doing their parts in restoring peace and joy within and between each other in perfect harmony. All 4 of my dragons were just as proud at everyone's combined efforts as well, as if the original dimension had been reborn in each of the 4 worlds it originally divided into.

Leo however then adopted a more serious expression soon after, "However informing you of the improvements on the dimensions is not the reason Reiji and I summoned you." He said seriously as his smile vanished and was replaced with a more serious expression, which was mirrored in Reiji.

"Then why did you call me?" I asked, I hadn't seen any of them like this since a disaster on a dimensional scale was abound, so could maybe a similar threat have arisen?

They both then looked to each other, "We wanted to show you something that we discovered just last night." Reiji said as they had me focus on the big screen. It then flipped over to an all too familiar spot.

"Hey, that's where Yuya and I duelled once." I said as I recognised it instantly. (Did he actually record our duel that time too? Man there's just no escaping him…)

"Yes," Reiji nodded, "But take a closer look here." He then zoomed in, revealing a small distortion in the very space itself!

I couldn't believe my eyes, I blinked multiple times to make sure my eyes weren't playing tricks on me….but it was very real "It…It can't be….a portal!?" Little did I know, all 4 of my dragons had been listening in on our conversation and herring this piqued their interest.

"Not just any portal Ryuga," Reiji replied, "I couldn't believe it when I first saw it myself, but after careful studies with my father here," he said looking at Leo, "We believe we may have discovered a completely new world. And," Flipping to results and graphs, "According to these readings, we believe we may have uncovered a ritual dimension."

As soon as Reiji muttered that word, "I….don't believe it….could it..really be…." Bahamut thought to himself as his siblings soon adopted similar feelings of bewilderment, "This….can't possibly be a coincidence…Could we have finally…?"

"R…Ritual?" I questioned paying no attention to them, "But…weren't there supposed to be only 4 dimensions, as well as only 4 counterparts from each person involved in Zarc's downfall?"

"That's what we thought too." Leo added as he switched to a past scene recorded from his memories, "Long ago, when Zarc was defeated, he, Ray and Dahaka were divided into 4 counterparts and splitting the worlds into 4 in the process. However, upon closer inspection, each world was divided based on the 4 summoning methods that were used by both Zarc and Dahaka. However for this world, upon closer inspections we confirmed it to be something of a 'sister' dimension to what was once the standard dimension, existing side by side to it. Which I found odd since I detected no presence of it when I first crossed the dimensional boundaries the first time." Leo continued, "Also, for the fact the Arc V machine I developed had no ritual energy or counterpart fuelling it, therefore this world remained untouched despite the dimensional integrations and the battles waged against Zarc."

"Oh…" I replied understandably.

"As far as I am concerned, Zarc had no connections to ritual monsters, however, we then realised…." Leo and Reiji looked towards each other before facing me to my uneasiness, "If Zarc had no ritual monster then perhaps, maybe only Dahaka himself did, which was why this dimension wasn't created as a world as a whole, but as an opposite side to the pendulum dimension." Reiji explained.

"Ryuga, we need to know," Leo asked facing me seriously, "Do you recall using any ritual monsters in your former life as Dahaka? Or having anything to do with ritual summonings at all, whatever you can recall we'll take."

I then thought hard, but to little avail, "To be honest, I don't really have much recollection of effectively utilising ritual monsters. What I do recall that because it was a summoning I knew Zarc had never touched so I felt by using it, I would be able to gain a competitive edge over him the next time we fought in the arena. So I sought out to utilise it myself, but….it was a technique even I found difficult to master, so I pretty much gave up that idea….Though…" For some odd reason, a sort of flashback occurred through my mind (A cold breeze, a serpentine form, fluid and elegant as the waves itself, like the river of time, which begins, flows and ends…..)

"Is something the matter Ryuga?" Leo asked which brought me back to the present.

"You've suddenly blanked out for a moment. Is there anything we should know?" Reiji asked.

I shook my head straightening my thoughts, "I..it's nothing, I just…somewhat recalled an old memory….though I can't quite describe it, and I'm not sure if it even relates to this…ritual world as you call it." I said.

"Hmmm….Very well then." Reiji thought before deciding to continue, "Anyway, so far we have been unable to establish any communications of the sort on the other end of the portal. So we are unable to confirm what lies beyond what we see now." He said as he flipped back to the screen showing the portal.

"We've been thinking over whether we should wait to see if we could either contact them or for them to contact us." Leo explained, "And after careful consideration we decided to put together an exploration team held by some of the best duellists in the 4 dimensions in order to explore this new world."

My eyes widened, "You're planning to head into another world already!?" I gasped at this set of news.

"While I prefer not to jump to hasty decisions that can result in losses and wastage of effort, in such a situation I can't afford not to do anything and let valuable opportunities pass by." Reiji added flipping up his glasses, "However, I do intend to inform the others soon, but we felt you should be the first to know. Though we'd appreciate you not to inform anyone else about this just until I say so, we can't afford to have such information be disclosed and risk anyone foolish enough to get too close to this insecure vortex."

Silence then fell over us, "Is he…trying to get us all to trust him, and not repeat his former mistakes during the Battle Royale?" I thought to myself, "Getting us all ready in advance so we wouldn't cause panic….But after all we've been through, the possibility of having to endure loss and pain again…."

Reiji narrowed his eyes as his he could tell what I was thinking, "Right now no one else knows the existence of the portal, and I've just ordered LDS security on lookout over the entire perimeter so that no civilians would get too close." As his monitor flipped to a squad of security heading out for the site before turning to me, "However that being said, our decision to enter this new world still stands."

"Ryuga, can we ask you for your cooperation to assist us in this exploration?" Leo asked hoping that I would willingly accept.

"We won't force you to go, just thought you should know in advance before everyone else." Reiji added considerably, "If you don't feel up to the task then I understand, but that only means we'll have to find someone else instead. I leave no room for error and nothing to chance, for disregarding this portal and the possibilities it may hold for the 4 worlds is one mistake I have no intention of making."

I then thought over this, the fact a new world had opened itself up to us was like the find of the century! In fact who knows what kinds of people and places we'd find there! Not to mention the many chances we'll have to reach out to and unite them with our duelling. And yet, what if there was the chance of another war breaking out? We've only just recovered from the inter dimensional war and my friends, there's no way I can have them go through all that again….Who knows what other dangers there may be….I then looked up, to both Akabas, "I'd like some time to think it over, still need to process all this and not jump into any rash decisions."

"Of course, but please don't take too long. Time is of the essence" Leo replied as they both excused me from the room and I let myself out. Once they were left alone, Reiji then turned back to the monitor and began running more diagnostics and tests and Leo turned to his son. "Reiji, what are you planning actually?"

"It's like I said father," he replied, "I'm intend to gather information and data from the other side with he help of our very best duelists, as well as to determine whether the dimension's inhabitants would pose any threat to us in any way."

Leo then turned around preparing to leave for Academia, "I hope you know what you are doing Reiji. The last time I interfered with the dimensions, I caused the revival of Zarc and threw entire civilisations into chaos and despair with Academia's invasion. While I am certain you won't repeat my mistakes, I advise you to plan your moves most carefully. With that I'll leave this mission and LEO Corp in your capable hands." He said as he went off, fully entrusting his former company and the future with his son and his team.

"I'll be sure of that, father. I won't let any of us down." Reiji vowed to himself.

 **(Ryuga POV)**

It was already mid afternoon, surprised at how much time had passed and I had just made it back home, and awaiting me at the front door was Yuya, "Hi Ryuga welcome home!" he called out as he greeted me with his trademark smile and warm attitude.

"Hey Yuya," I replied back with a superficial smile, "Anything good today at school?"

He grinned, "Yup! Today in an entertainment duel against Allen and Sayaka, I came up with a new xyz monster called startime magician! Not to mention I even called forth 4 other magician monsters that resemble each of my 4 dragons! You really should have been there, because the show I put on for everyone was one for the history books!"

"Wow, gee I feel regretful to miss that…." I replied feeling kinda down.

"Hehe, no worries maybe next time," he chuckled before getting back to the matter at hand, "So, what did Reiji want to talk to you about huh? Sounded really important if he wanted just you."

After hearing his question, I already had a lot going through my mind so I didn't quite want to say anything just yet, "About that, I just had a pretty long day so I hope you don't mind if I settle down a bit first then I'll fill you and your mum in later over at dinner okay?"

"Oh I see," he replied feeling considerate, "Sure thing, I'll wait. Hope it's something really exciting!" He cried with excitement.

"Sure…is…" I replied softly as I went back inside with him. (A lot was on my mind already, and I hadn't yet fully grasped the full magnitude of this situation. I don't think it'd be wise to let anyone else know about this at all….Not unless they would be willing to brave possible danger once more since the war.)

After cleaning myself up I then settled down back into my room. I had been thinking about everything Reiji said earlier to me this afternoon, while I was reluctant to get back into the field of battle I knew if I were to overlook this matter I may regret it eventually in the long run. If not me then someone else will have to take my place, and whether that person may be up to the task….or to expose him or her to possible danger once again, is something I had no intention of allowing. I then made my decision, and begun to pack whatever supplies I could gather from my room into my backpack, the very same one I brought with me from my village hometown all the way to Maiami a long time ago. After my preparations were about complete, I then pitched in a call to Reiji once more.

RING RING

"Hello Ryuga, is there something you need?" Reiji asked at the other end as soon as he answered the call.

I then swallowed down hard, having made my final decision, "Regarding your exploration team Reiji, just wanted to tell you I'm in."

He then smiled at the other side, "As I expected, I'm glad you were able to see things my way."

"One condition though, I want to go in it alone." I added at the end.

The other end of the call went silent for a bit, apparently my answer was the one Reiji least expected, "Excuse me? Are you certain of this?" he asked cautiously.

"I've never been more serious in my life." I replied, "I've looked at everyone else in all the other dimensions over the past few months, all their wonderful smiles, carefully but bonds and recovering scars. They've all finally earned the peace they've been fighting for so long, and the thought of exposing them all to potential danger again is something I really don't want to put them through." I explained quite sadly and reluctantly, but knowing it may be the only way to protect them, "Also, I feel it's something I alone should undertake. I know you may think it's foolish just to follow a hunch, but I'm going to trust it! I know this is something I have to do on my own and no one else."

Reiji remained silent before replying, "Ryuga, are you seriously going through with this? Going into an unknown world alone is like a suicide mission, without anyone else to back you up in the event of an accident or disaster, what can you do on your own?"

"That still won't change my decision Reiji." I replied, "Besides you said it yourself, this isn't a scouting mission for warriors, it's only an exploration. If a large number of us went, wouldn't it make us look like invaders from another world to the locals?"

"I see…." He paused for a moment before smiling slightly, "While I can't fully approve of your decision, if that is what you want then I won't stop you. I have faith that you will do us all well. Good luck, I will see you off at the site of the portal first thing tomorrow morning. I wish you all the best in your mission." After that the line switched off.

"Hope this is the right thing to do…." I thought to myself hoping I didn't make the wrong decision. As if right on cue and as expected, my ever reliable partner and friend appeared behind me ready to speak his mind. "Before you speak Bahamut, just to let you know I've actually thought this through. Also, I felt it myself, some kind of personal urge to seek this world out

"I'm well aware of that Ryuga." he replied, "But to be honest, I am quite glad you are doing this."

"B..Bahamut?" I asked surprised.

"Your choice to put the needs and safety of the others in front of your own is most admirable, it shows how much you truly care for their wellbeing and are willing to take upon all their burdens. Such a choice is indeed a pure one." He answered, "And to be frankly honest I have been wanting to visit this ritual dimension for sometime when I first heard of it. In fact…it is part of the reason why I was distracted the other day….forgive me for not telling you." he admitted disappointedly.

I then raised an eyebrow, "I knew there was a proper reason why you weren't in peak fighting form," I said, "But to think, you knew about this portal already back then?"

He held his head down in guilt, "In a way yes I confess, but I wasn't completely sure at first of how it was taking place….Except for the fact ritual energy was involved." he admitted, "Until Reiji confirmed it earlier this morning, then I knew my suspicions couldn't have been mere coincidence. Also, like you, me and my siblings do feel compelled to visit this new world. As for why…I'm afraid I can't explain it…."

I then thought a bit, and I could see he wasn't lying but still, it seemed as though he was keeping something more, "I see…." I then smiled to show I trusted him, "Well in that case Bahamut, I'm glad I'm not actually going alone, I'll have you guys by my side! No matter what comes our way or what may stand against us, let's face it together as always!"

Bahamut then smiled as he then held out his claw for us to shake on, "For our friends and the future." We said together.

That evening at the dinner table, I then announced my plan to the Sakakis present at the dinner table, and when I did-

"What!? You're going away!?" Yuya gasped as he was caught off guard by my answer.

"Yeah," I replied, "He said he needed me to help him settle some….interdimensional relations over the next few days or so, fragile matters to be precise. And he said it's something only I should undertake alongside him." (I couldn't bring myself to tell them about a new world just opening up, and no doubt Yuya would volunteer himself to join the fight again. Last thing I want was for that bright smile of his to vanish again in the heat of dangerous battle)

"I expected Reiji to give out all sorts of requests, but one that would require you alone to travel with him across the 4 dimensions is something I wasn't expecting." Yoko added.

"I found it odd too, but he did say I was the only one he could see up to the task, and that the situation can't be solved was easily with the usual entertainment duelling. It'll require much a more delicate and diplomatic approach." I said back to them.

"Awww man….Reiji can be such a party pooper sometimes…Why do you get to go while I'm stuck at home!?" He whined.

(Not quite Yuya, you still have free access to the dimensional gate and can travel to any of the other worlds whenever you want.) I sweated dropped.

"And what's wrong with my entertainment duelling!?" He suddenly yelled, "Is Reiji saying I'm not good enough!? I saved the world and united the 4 dimensions! How can I not be up to the task!? Hmph…." he sulked.

"Well… I suppose not everything can be solved the usual way Yuya…" I replied, "I still feel bad about being the only one going on this assignment but….sometimes there's just no avoiding it…"

"Things are bound to get even more quiet with you gone, which I assume will be the same for You Show Duel School." Yoko added feeling a little sad with me going so soon the next.

"About that Yoko," I then tossed out a pair of cards to Yoko, as she looked at them she then looked back to me puzzled, "Ryuga, I don't understand. Why are you giving these to me?" She asked as she revealed them as Blue eyes and red eyes!

"They're actually the keys to my card shack at You Show, while I'm gone I'll need someone I can really trust to look after it. And I can't think of a more responsible and capable adult than you Yoko." I revealed to her bewilderment.

"M..Me?" She asked pointing at herself in shock while Yuya looked back and forth between me and her in complete question, "Me run your store? I…I don't know what to say…" She was at such a loss for words at the thought of being granted such a high privilege and responsibility, she had no idea how to respond to it.

"I know you're just the person for the job, why else would I give them to you in the first place?" I said encouragingly, "Can I trust you to take care of the Dragon's Lair while I'm gone? No way I can leave it in Shuzo's hands. It'll be a tough job for him to run the school and and manage the store, not to mention he's more likely to scare away customers than bring them in heheh…." I chuckled.

 **(I actually said goodbye to the 2 of them earlier in my room, while they didn't feel happy to be left out, I let them know that I needed them to look after things in my place while I was away and I couldn't leave it to anyone else but them. Which with some persuasion from Bahamut they accepted reluctantly.)**

"Hahaha! That's a good one!" Yuya laughed. (Hehe, this'll be great! With her running things maybe I could get a discount on cards, or better yet, maybe even for free!) he giggled in excitement to himself.

"Oh dear, if that's the case then I suppose I can't refuse…Guess that means I've got to work twice as hard as usual, not an easy task for a mother….but somebody got to do it!" She then turned to Yuya with a bright smile, "On the other hand I'll be able to keep a much closer eye on you Yuya and your friends too. Maybe even show you and your friends at the school a thing or two about getting tough in the duelling world like I once did in my youth! Perhaps I'll even show you a couple of moves I once used in during my days as a gang leader! I'll whip you all into tip top shape and push you guys so hard even Shuzo's hot blooded training will feel like a warm summer's breeze!" She stood up on one leg on a chair while announcing it vigorously.

"Mom! I'm not a little baby anymore!" he whined, "And please no! Anything but Shooting Star Yoko!" He cried in horror at the thoughts of what she may do to them in the training room.

"Oh don't be like that dear!" Yoko giggled as she reverted back to her usual self, before going up to and giving him a little cuddle, "You'll always be my little baby Yuya! You and other selves too!" She said to their dismay.

"MOOOOOMMMM!" he cried in embarrassment as I laughed in amusement.

As I watched on their continued family antics I then smiled, I'm sure going to miss family life for a while, better enjoy it while I can….And sure enough, we did. After dinner we had a triangle battle royal duel, just me, Yuya and Yoko (Apparently adopting her former alter ego as Shooting Star Yoko of the Maiami Queens in her old days as a gang leader) and boy did we have the time of our lives! That night before I slept I began to duel on all the wonderful memories I made with the Sakakis today, excuse…who nows…..tomorrow them seeing me off may be the last time I see them at all..….

 **(Next morning)**

The day had finally arrived, and I had packed myself a fresh set of clothes in my old travelling bag. After saying goodbye to Yuya before he left for the duel school, Yoko reached for my shoulder stopping me before I took off, "Hold it, you can't leave just yet."

"Huh?" I was surprised by what she was saying to me until she held out a paper bag, "Not without delicious snacks! I've prepared some of my best pancake sandwiches just for your trip!" She said with a farewell smile.

I happily accepted the bag."Thanks Yoko, I'm really going to miss your cooking while I'm away. Look after everyone else and my shop for me!"

She nodded, "I will! Take care sweetie!" She waved.

"Will do Yoko! See you all again soon!" I called out as I headed down the road to the place Reiji asked me to meet, "Tell everyone I said hi!" Hoping her to give me my final words to the others at the school later on when she sees them.

"Sure thing Ryuga! Come home safe!" She called out as she waved bye to me, coming back was something I really hoped for when this job is over….

"Hey Ryuga." Fafnir asked as she appeared before me, "Are you sure you want to entrust the whole shop to the likes of Yoko Sakaki?

"Of course, I don't see why not." I replied finding her doubts odd.

She then sweated, "It's just….I don't like the thought of having Red eyes or Blue eyes being left alone with someone other than you. Especially with….her…." Fafnir added feeling uneasy as she looked back at Yoko waving to us.

"Relax Fafnir, Yoko is a responsible woman, no way she'd abuse the privileges we've left her." Tiamat smiled having full faith in her judgement.

 **(Meanwhile)**

As soon as I disappeared from sight, Yoko suddenly jumped for joy finding the coast to be clear, "EEEEEEE! I can't believe it! The whole shop to myself!" she shrieked in utter excitement, "I don't know what to try first! The forbidden password machine or maybe I'll give the turbo duel simulator a try It's been a while since I rode my bike, and as leader of a biker gang I can't let my skills get rusty! Riding game here I come!" She then hurried along to the direction of the school filled with he vigorous energy of her former youth.

 **(Ryuga POV)**

Some time later I then headed out to the outskirts of Maiami, back to the spot where I once overlooked the city and where Yuya and I had our memorial duel. Right there, I noticed a blockade of LEO security awaiting me.

"Mr Shirogane, our president has been expecting you," They then stepped aside and allowed me clearance.

"Welcome Ryuga, I commend you for undertaking this task on your lonesome, your courage is quite admirable." Reiji said as we met again.

"I'm doing what I can for all of us and to make sure my friends stay safe."

"With your efforts I am certain we all will," He then pointed towards a bluish distortion of space which was before the outlook over the entire city of Maiami.

"So that's the portal…." I then trembled slightly with excitement and fear, "There's no turning back now, let's do this." My dragons then nodded in agreement, the time for doubts and worry had passed, now we move forward to the future before us. Looking at everyone gathered in the field with all the spy equipment got me thinking back, "This kinda reminds me of old times when he lancers travelled the dimensions in search of allies to help us take on the fusion dimension." I stated.

Reiji smirked, "Indeed, however unlike before, this is only for a reconnaissance mission though the crossover field spell and action cards will still be at your disposal for emergencies only. However, we strongly advise for you to use ritual summoning to prevent drawing any unnecessary attention to yourself. You do know how to ritual summon correct?" he asked.

"I do have some experience using them though not as well compared to the other methods, still will try my best." I replied uneasily but firmly.

"Very well then. Let's proceed." He then nodded to his staff giving them the clear signs that it was time to begin. A woman scientist walked before Reiji and I, handing him a chip before presenting it to me, "With this your disk should remain in close contact with both LEO Corp and myself, it will also act as a live camera feed so we can see exactly what your disk faces as well, also enabling us to collect data from across the dimensions."

"So you're hoping I'd be like a cameraman in the field documenting nature or something in the wild? Basically documenting the people, if any, and the lifestyles of the ritual dimension's inhabitants?" I asked, his idea of data collection and

"In a way yes….Hopefully from what you aether we amy be able to determine if they are of any danger to us." he replied, "I expect great results and sights from your end, and don't worry, not only will we continue to monitor the situation from here, but with the crossover card you should be able to return home whenever you choose." He replied reminding me of the transport function already installed a year ago.

"That's good to know." I replied, "Okay, let's get this thing started." I said as I stood before the dimensional distortion.

Reiji then looked over a computer and narrowed his eyes, "The portal isn't very stable in its current state, however, if it were to be given a massive boost in duel energy, it should stabilise and open large enough for you to move through." He stated looking around, "Unfortunately the equipment we have here isn't sufficient enough to provide us that…." he admitted disappointedly.

"Power eh?" I thought before smirking, "I think I know just where to get lots of it her and now!" I then activated my duel disk.

"Ryuga! What are you doing!?" He gasped in surprise.

"Giving this doorway the boost it needs to open!" I replied as I took out four cards, "Alright guys! Bahamut! Fafnir! Jormangandr and Tiamat! Come forth!" All 4 of my dragons fully materialised as I laid them out on my disk, and they all greeted everyone with tremendous roars!

"Incredible…." Reiji breathed seeing all of them together, it was almost as breathtaking as how Yuya called out his.

I then looked to them, "Alright guys give it all you got!" They then nodded as they turned towards the portal, "All together! Dragon force attack!" They all then opened their jaws and fired all their energy beams which combined into one supreme blast at the centre of the portal!

One staff member looked to the computer screens, "Sir! It's working! The portal's mass is expanding and the energy fields are beginning to stabilise!"

"Good, now to just keep it up a little longer." Reiji thought calmly as everything was proceeding as expected. Everything went smoothly at first, but without warning, my dragons' attacks suddenly intensified and the portal began to expand at an even faster rate!

Reiji's eyes widened, "Ryuga! That's too much power! Stop it at once before you cause a disaster!"

"Guys! You heard him!" I gasped, "Shut it off quick!"

"We…can't!" Bahamut suddenly roared to my surprise.

"What!?" I cried in shock.

"The vortex is too strong!" Jormangandr roared.

"It's draining our powers!" Tiamat followed as signs of pain began to show on everyone of them

"AAARRGGGHH!" They cried in pain as more and more of their energy was being absorbed into the portal!

"Don't give in! Fight it!" I begged. I then tried to deactivate my duel disk but to my horror it didn't respond! I couldn't bring them back to card form!

One scientist looked in alarm at the readings she was getting, "Sir! Energy levels are exceeding beyond safety limits! The portal is reaching critical mass! At this rate it would-" Just as she finished.

BZZT! BOOM!

"AAAHH!" The assistants screamed as the monitors before them suddenly exploded from too much pressure! Before us all the portal began to expand so largely, massive waves of energy and mass began to shake the area we were at violently!

"Get away now!" I yelled to everyone around me!

"Ryuga!" Reiji gasped with Nakajima barely hanging on, "We won;t leave without you!"

"Just go!" I yelled once more as he attempted to reach for me, "Better just me than all of you trapped! Get away before it's too late!"

"Ryuga…." Reiji reluctantly heeded my call, "Tch! Everyone evacuate immediately! Abandon site!" As everyone tried to make a run for cover, it was too late.

"GAAAAAAAARRRRGGGHHH!" I cried as a bright light form the portal suddenly shone, which enveloped me and my dragons in an instant! The dimensional space I was in began to shake violently, which knocked me out cold!

"RYUGA!" Reiji cried out as the energy from the portal suddenly imploded on itself before finally-

BOOOOOMMMM! A huge explosion shook the entire landscape and everyone one and thing within its blast radius was blown away like dust!

"AAAARRRRGGGHHH!" Everyone cried as they were sent away by the massive impact!

 **(Moments later)**

"Urgh…." Reiji groaned as he came to. He then stood up and saw his employees slowly recovering one by one, but most of the equipment and technology they had with them was either shorted out or almost destroyed after the surge. "Is everyone alright?" He asked with concern.

"We're okay sir." Nakakjima stated on their behalf, although we have suffered critical damage to nearly all major systems, it will be sometime before we can get everything operational again."

"I see….Well, at least there are no casualties in this accident," Reiji breathed relieved that none of his precious employees were harmed, "Now for…Oh no…." His face nearly turned pale as he looked upon the spot where the portal once stood. Now all that was left in its place was a barren crater the size of a small swimming pool filled with dust and debris. He then stared on at the bleak sight without even blinking for 5 minutes straight unable to process what had just occurred, or about a possible loss of life…."He's gone….no…no it can't be….He has to be alive…" he muttered under his breath before shaking his head and regaining his composure, knowing unstable emotions will only lead to even more rash decisions and panic, which were so unbecoming of him.

"I shall alert Yuya Sakaki and the other lancers," Nakajima suggested, "We'll then establish an emergency of the highest level and-"

"No, not a word of this to anyone…..yet." Reiji interrupted seriously to Nakajima's surprise, "For the time being I will be taking matters into my own hands."

"But sir!" He was then met with a stern look by his boss who completely froze him in his tracks!

"Nakajima, I pushed him to go through that portal, and now he's lost in there alone because of me. Now it's my responsibility, and mine alone, that I see to his immediate rescue!" He said firmly before turning to his other staff, "Reestablish all communications immediately! Put everyone on round the clock schedules if you must! I want contact with Ryuga as soon as possible, no matter how long it takes!" He ordered.

"At once sir!" They all said as they proceeded to their work stations post haste as they began to repair their damaged equipment and regain connections.

"I shall oversee the works sir." Nakajima volunteered.

"Make sure it all runs smoothly and quick." Reiji instructed as his assistant bowed before taking his leave, "Ryuga….We'll do everything in our power to bring you back, even if it requires the aid of all 4 dimensions…." he said to himself as he narrowed his eyes at possibly what might be his most important mission of all.

 **(Ryuga POV)**

"Urgh…my head…it's been a while since I did a dimension jump, as usual it feels horrible." I groaned as I slowly came to my senses and regained consciousness on the other side of the portal. As I opened my eyes, sunlight began to flood them until my vision started to return. As I looked around I found myself in what appeared to be a very dense forest! The atmosphere seemed very peaceful and untouched by human hands, as well as the soil itself, apparently had no trees of any human presence. The air itself was very pure and fresh, and the sky was a deep blue as gentle winds blew through the grove of trees. "This is…the ritual dimension?" I thought to myself as I looked around, "I was expecting something….more amazing than this."

"What are you talking about Ryuga?" A voice suddenly spoke, "This place feels incredible!" Appearing before me in solid form was Bahamut, Tiamat, Jormangandr and Fafnir!

"G..Guys!?" I gasped unexpectedly at all 4 of my dragons suddenly appearing and they practically materialising completely without solid vision! They were almost completely life-like! "You're okay?"

"Indeed, better in fact! I've never felt so alive in so many years!" Jormangandr roared energetically.

"I can actually stretch my wings!" Fafnir breathed as she enjoyed every moment she was in here.

I then raised an eyebrow with suspicion, "Huh?" Looking around I found nothing special about the place except fresh air, bushes, trees and even more trees, "Ummm its a beautiful and peaceful forest I admit, but I don't get what makes it so great." It was almost as thought they never suffered any pain earlier from the vortex….strange a how quickly they recovered.

"If you were a duel monster you'd understand beyond the surface and outer appearance of this environment. I can feel an incredible surge of spirit energy coursing through myself!" Bahamut growled as he stretched his entire body and opened his wings.

"It's been a long while since i had the power to materialise at will!" Tiamat snarled as she felt she could take on any challenge or monster if she wanted.

"Really….Interesting…." I thought before remembering why I came here from the start, "Better check in with Reiji and see what he thinks of all this." As I switched on my disk and began to press the communication feature, strangely….nothing happened.

"Something wrong?" Bahamut asked concerned seeing me get frustrated over such a small matter.

I then narrowed my eyes annoyed, "I can't seem to get a signal, not only that, I can't seem to connect with anyone in the pendulum dimension at all!"

"That's….quite problematic…." Fafnir said starting to realise it may not have been as fun as she first imagined, "Try to see if you can go home. You still have that crossover card logged into your duel disk right?" She suggested.

"That's worth a try, it's still got the coordinates locked on anyways so there's no reason why it could fail." I then pressed the transport button…..nothing happened, "Uh oh…." My worst fears had became real….."Great….not only are communications with Reiji, or anyone else for that matter, a complete bust, now I can't use the crossover card to get home! I'm practically stuck in another world which I have completely no clue about!" I yelled in frustration, though the duel function still worked on my disk it would be of little help to me in my situation…

"Well staying put and whining about it in this forest won't make it any better." Tiamat observed looking around with both heads, "Might as well go forward and hopefully find a town, village or any kind of settlement where we can get some answers about this place." She suggested trying to make the best of the situation we were in.

"No other choice I guess." I groaned as I reluctantly proceeded through the only straight path ahead of us through the forest after returning everyone to their cards, "Maybe I should've called for backup when I had the chance. And Reiji, you better get a rescue team pronto…or I'm gonna blast this out all over the Internet the first chance I get!" I groaned seeing this surveillance mission now turned into some quest in a video game to get back home…..This was the worst….

"Don't worry Ryuga, we'll pull through this Ryuga, I promise we'll be able to find a way home too…." Bahamut said to me assuringly before sighing, "Hopefully….Our only chance, if there is one, may be…Leviathan…." he then thought to himself as we continued on our brand new journey through an unknown world.

 **(Meanwhile)**

Much further off in the distance, a whitish victorian style carriage pulled by a pair of horses (Apparently the type of horses seen from the valkyrie archetype which they were rode upon) rode along the forest pathway. Side by side were a pair of bodyguards wearing steel knight armour walking alongside the carriage. Despite that, one of their most distinguishing features was that their armour and the carriage doors had a symbol which resembled a pointed blue dragon's head which was then surrounded by a circled which resembled serpent coils.

Inside the carriage, sat a young girl around the age of 15 in the cushioned seats, with long hair which was outcropped with dark and light blue layers. She wore a pure white gown which appeared similar to a nightdress and had 2 cuff bracelets on her arms. Around her neck she wore what looked like a necklace with the same symbol as on her carriage and on the knights' armour.

"Milady, you haven't said a word since we started this little ride through the countryside. Have you been able to take your mind off your recent moments of stress?" The coachman in front said as he spoke concerned through the translucent veil that was covering the windows and openings of the carriage.

She opened her eyes slowly, revealing them to be clear as the water itself, "No not quite yet," she replied calmly but also somewhat saddened, "I'd like to take a stroll around the countryside just a little while longer before we return. I haven't quite cleared my thoughts yet."

The coachman nodded, "I see….Well then shall we-" he was suddenly interrupted by an alarming yell up in front.

"Ambush!" One guard yelled as his partner was knocked down hard! From the bushes a shadowed figure had leapt out and knocked over one guard with a heavy tackle! Before the other had been knocked outsold by a severe blow to the head by another fist!

"A..A…AAAAHHHH!" The coachman yelled in horror as he immediately leapt off his seat into the bushes, while setting the horses loose from the carriage in the process as they neighed in a panic before galloping off!

"H..Hey! Where are you going!?" The girl cried out as she peered out of the window in shock.

"I'll be back with help! I promise you!" He cried as he ran further into the forest, leaving his mistress at the mercy of their mysterious attackers!

Standing over her defeated attendants were a pair of bandits, who wielded a golden feather like device on their arms. One bandit wore brownish green tattered and torn clothing and brown boots and a piece of head cloth (Like those worn by pirates) over his blood hair and had a half shaved beard around his sneaky grin. His partner wore a thicker black long sleeved set of clothes and wore a helmet which perfectly fitted his head and was outcropped by dark grey spiked hair, and he grinned maliciously as well. "Hehehe! This is even easier than taking sweets from an infant!" The blond haired one grinned.

"This was almost too easy if you ask me, but the reward will be more than worth it!" the second one laughed disgustingly.

The girl in the carriage cried "Y..You fiends! Do you have any idea who you're dealing with!?" She yelled angrily thinking of them to be completely out of their mind to attack her.

"Hehehe! Sure we do! You're the only daughter of the most powerful man in the entire kingdom of Norvagen aren't you!" The first bandit replied, "But now, you're our hostage!"

"Ah!" she gasped in shock, surprised they knew exactly who she was and yet they decided to make her their target!

"We've been hired by a very generous payer for your capture, and once we bring you to him we'll be even richer than the most powerful nobles in all the world! Hahahaha!" They soon laughed maniacally together in excitement as they closed in at the font door of the carriage.

Upon witnessing their disgusting smirks and clear malicious intent, and noticing all of her attendants had been knocked out cold, the girl became choked with fear, as tears of pure terror began to well up in her eyes, "Please! Somebody!Anybody! Help me!"

 **And with that, Ryuga's first step into the ritual dimension has been made and the beginning of his new adventure on how to get back home! What sort of challenges await him remain to be seen so stay tuned as the adventure begins!**

 **P.S-Duelling will take a slightly different kind of style in the ritual dimension which you'll all see soon.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Oowgh….We've been walking for hours…..And still no sign of any people, not even any animals at all." I moaned as I continued my seemingly never-ending walk. My feet were beginning to kill me, as if each new step I took was a strain to my already tired body. "I don't know how much longer I can keep this up…."

Bahamut and the others then appeared before me in spirit form looking over me concerned, "Why not just summon one of us to scout ahead or even carry you along the way?" he asked.

"Yeah? It'll surely be much more effective than trekking on foot and only hurting yourself in the process." Fafnir added.

"Appreciate the offer guys," I panted, "But in the chance that there are people out there, how would they react if they see a giant dragon flying about?"

"Good point. Knowing the feeble mindedness of normal humans they would instantly run for the hills." Tiamat sighed knowing she herself would insight the most fear into the heart of anyone who laid eyes upon her, which was something that she enjoyed usually but not in this case.

GRUMBLE GRUMBLE

"Man I'm starving." I groaned as I heard my stomach growl suddenly, it felt as hollow as a tree trunk, apparently the long trek had taken much more out of me than just energy….I then remembered something quickly and then took off my backpack and began rummaging through it, "I suppose this qualifies as an emergency. I'm sure I put it here…." I then reached deeper inside and managed to pull out the paper bag Yoko gave me. Opening it I found a large pancake sandwich stuffed with a steak recipe mum used when she watched Michio's cooking duels. "Wouldn't hurt to have a quick bite before moving on." I thought as I sat near a fallen log by the trail ready for lunch.

"Mmmm, that looks very delicious indeed," Tiamat hissed as she edged closer to me, "Sniff sniff…Makes me feel hungry myself! Care to offer to any to us?" She asked while grinning deviously.

I then sweat dropped as she came in a little too close for me, "Ummm…well…." I was really hungry myself, but could I really refuse my friends? Then again there were only so many sandwiches to go around….

"Don't even think about it Tiamat." Bahamut growled as he grabbed her shoulder and pulled her away. She then shoved him off as she tried to get closer to me, only for Fafnir to push her back and then Bahamut further restraining her again from behind, resulting in a tussle of growls and claw swipes! As I looked on I had no idea what to make of it.

"You guys sure you aren't hungry?" I asked considerately seeing them all fighting amongst one another like children.

Jormangandr then turned to me, "You enjoy it Ryuga, clearly you need it much more than we do. We'll be fine ourselves, I promise." he replied kindly before he went with Fafnir and Bahamut to further restrain Tiamat from getting out of hand! "You're so unfair! I just want a bite!" I don't know how they did it, but they managed to pull her back into the deck and even quiet her down, not that I'm complaining.

"Thanks you guys." I said as they as they disappeared before turning to my food, I then closed my eyes as tears of complete joy filled my heart and eyes, "Yoko you really are a lifesaver….Well, time to dig in!"

MUNCH MUNCH

As I sunk my teeth into the delicious meal, and having the savoury taste and juicy fill y mouth, it was as if taking a bite of paradise! "Mmmmm, better enjoy this while it lasts…." I thought to myself as I continued eating slowly and enjoying the food I had with me. I decided to take a drink of water, when I heard the flutter of small wings, I assumed it to a bird so I only turned my eye to where it was coming from. I almost spat out my mouthful at the sight of what appeared to be a string of long tail feathers! Apparently, it wasn't an ordinary pair of birds, what I say looked almost like a faith bird and skull red bird together! I then shook my head and rubbed my eyes to make sure my eyes weren't deceiving me. But when I looked again, they were gone deeper over the trees. "Did I just see….Live duel monsters?" I thought to myself before shaking my head, "No, must be my imagination." There may be a spirit world for monsters in each dimension, but this is the human side ritual dimension, so they can't possibly exist with free will on their own. It was then I decided to get back to lunch and look into it later.

"Hello pancake sandwich, say hello to stomach." I thought to myself as I was about to dig into my next one, but just before I could take a bite, a cry for help echoed through the woods!

"HELP ME!"

I then looked up quickly and looked around! "That, I most definitely heard." I thought to myself, "Should I get involved though? This may expose me more than necessary, but then again, that means there are people nearby too so I don't need to keep walking aimlessly again." I then stood up, "Sigh…Regardless, I can't just ignore a cry for help. I have to at least see what's going on." I then looked to my delicious sandwich before packing it away, "Sorry, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to cancel our little lunch appointment, but I'm sure I can see you later for dinner." I then hurried along the path and armed myself with my duel disk in the event I would need heavy monster muscle to back me up. My path took me into the woods until I came near a perched ledge.

As I looked over, I widened my eyes at the sight of what looked like a pair of bandits cornering a helpless girl in a white dress at the base of the cliff!

"Hehe! No where to run now!"

"Why don't you just save us a lot trouble, and just give yourself up already!?" They laughed as they had her completely cornered against the wall!

She then sobbed bitterly out of fear, "Please…Somebody….Anybody…."

I narrowed my eyes and grit my teeth in anger, "Tch! It seems no matter which dimension I visit there'll always be scum." I thought to myself angrily, "Guess it's time to do what I do best, lend a helping hand." I then leapt up from above the rocky ledge which hung above them all.

"Hold it right there you two!" I yelled to their surprise!

"Ah!" The girl gasped in surprise, while she was glad to have someone come to her aid she neve expected it to be a boy who seemed around her age, and wearing unusual clothes.

"Hey! Who's this?" The bandit with blond hair questioned.

"Forget that, have you seen those clothes? He looks like someone who was raised in a peasant village but had to get clothes from a court jester!" The second one with a ghoulish face and black hair laughed.

"Peasant village? Court jester? What is this the middle ages?" I questioned myself hearing what they just said. Whatever the case, now that I'm here there's no going back now. I then turned to the girl behind me, "Stand back let me handle this." I replied seriously.

The girl then looked up to me, "But wait! Who are you?"

"No time for that! Now go! Hide!" I yelled back.

"Can I really trust this stranger?" She then looked and observed her situation, "Seems I don't have any other choice…." Nodding to my instructions without hesitation she then ran and hid behind a large tree to the side and only peered behind from it while I stood face to face with her attackers!

"Get out of the way!"

"This doesn't concern you! Our business is with the girl!" They yelled frustratedly to see their target escaping.

"I don't know what your problem is, but attacking an innocent girl out of nowhere is just low!" I yelled back at them furiously, "You want her? You'll have to get through me first!" I then took out my deck and inserted it into my duel disk and got into an armed stance to show I was serious, but to my surprise, I was met with sudden laughter!

"Hahahahahahaha!"

"What's so funny?" I asked suspiciously.

"You plan to take us on with a deck of measly little cards!? That's hilarious!" The bandit with blond hair laughed while pointing at me.

"You might as well take us on unarmed with your bare fists!" His partner followed.

I then raised an eyebrow, have they not seen a duel disk before? "Well how do you guys plan on duelling me then?" I asked.

They then stopped laughing realising I meant what I said, "Oh? He's actually serious about duelling, well then…." The 2 of them eagerly raised their arms revealing a small golden stone device on each of them which also had what appeared to be feather like appendages stretching out from it. Suddenly it opened out into 5 and stretched across their arms! (Making the entire arm resemble a wing) Each feather piece had grooves on them as well which appeared to be able to fit cards on them.

As I saw the device open up I couldn't help but blink a few times to make sure I wasn't seeing things, "That's your duel disk?" I asked as it immediately caught my eye.

"Duel disk? What are you blabbering about? This is called a diadhank! It's a powerful tool used to call forth powerful monsters and magic!" They yelled back, "You musn't have heard of these then, well that's too bad because if you did then you'd have the opportunity to flee for your miserable life!"

"Hehehe! But it's too late now! Prepare to enter a world of excruciating pain!" It then glowed at the centre before what appeared to be 5 large stone tablets materialised from the ground before the 2 of them! (Which I assumed to be their 5 cards in their respective hands)

"That's something I didn't see coming." I thought at the sight, "Fortunately I happen to have a few tricks of my own too." I thought as I activated my own duel disk.

 **Field open! Crossover**

The field spell soon enveloped the area we were in and the platforms emerged and the action cards dispersing across the field!

"Wh…what is this!?" The bandits gasped, "Some kind of magic spell!? Y…you must be some sort of sorcerer to be able to conjure something like this!" They cried pointing at me.

I then sweat dropped, "It's called science, not sorcery. Ever heard of the word?" Somehow I get the feeling that scientific achievements like vehicles or even household appliances that run on electricity would be seen as magical artefacts to the people of ritual, if they would find something like this to be that incredible.

"E…enough of this meaningless talk! We have a job to do and it's time we finished it!" They yelled before ignoring the scenery and focusing on me.

DUEL!

 **Ryuga: 4000**

 **Bandit 1: 4000**

 **Bandit 2: 4000**

"I'll start this off," I said as I observed my hand, "I'd like to avoid using some of my best summoning methods, even if it may put me at a disadvantage, but I've already drawn enough attention already." I said as I took a card, "I activate the spell Odd eyes accel! With this I can normal summon an odd eyes monster without having to sacrifice another monster! So now I summon my level 7 odd eyes phantom dragon!" I then called forth my own purple and white odd eyes monster who appeared on the field and growled menacingly!

Their eyes widened, "Impossible!"

"He was able to call forth a monster from that tiny card!? He really is a sorcerer!" The bandits gasped at the sight of the dragon I called forth.

The frightened girl peeked out from the side of tree spectating the match, "Wow….He seems to be pretty skilled himself, hope he can handle those 2 fiends….Also, this field…" She then looked around and observed the change in surroundings in awe.

"Sigh….for the last time it's not actual magic it's science. Then again you guys probably wouldn't understand." I said apparently giving up trying to explain myself, "I place a card facedown, ending my turn." As the card formed on the ground they were even more taken aback!

The bandits took a step back, "What is that…thing!? Some kind of magical artefact!? Materialising an entire facedown on the field like that and calling forth a monster without the use of a diadhank!?"

One then smirked, "Hehe, maybe if we bring him in too, we'll get an extra bonus from our client!" His partner then nodded with a grin as they both cackled maliciously while I narrowed my eyes seriously.

"To think he possesses that much skill with such a small device." The girl said to herself intrigued.

"We don't know what other magic powers you possess but we'll still crush you! Draw!" A card slate materialised before him and he observed his arsenal eagerly, "I'll start by activating the spell ancient rules form my hand!" One tablet flipped over and revealed the familiar artwork of the card in stone tablet form.

"So that's how they duel here….Have to say…it's quite interesting…." I thought as I saw the move played before me.

"With this spell I can special summon a level 5 or higher normal monster from my hand without having to sacrifice anything! So watch as I call forth one of my most feared beasts! Zoa!" Another tablet flipped over and revealed the powerful fiend monster on it. It glowed before vanishing and having the powerful fiend appearing in its place! "Hehe! With 2600 attack points it will make short work of your dragon in no time!" He grinned before turning to another card slate, "I now place a 'card' as you call it, facedown. Ending my turn." One slate fell flat before moving onto the field.

"Now it's my turn! Draw!" The second thug smirked as a crd tablet materialised before him, "I activate double summon! Allowing me to perform 2 normal summons this turn!" The stone tablet flipped over revealing itself before glowing and vanishing. "Now I summon Diskblade rider and Chaosrider Gustaph!" A pair of card slates flipped forward before glowing and 2 fiendish rider monsters rode out of them! "Now I activate the special ability of Gustaph! Once per turn I can remove up to 2 spells from my graveyard in order to give my monster an additional 300 points for each one! So I banish double summon to give my rider a power boost!" The card tablet depicting double summon vanished into the banish portal before granting an increase in the rider's strength!

 **1400-1700**

"Now I end my turn!" Bandit 2 called, "Hehehe, you must be fearing for your very life at what stands before you!" he grinned hoping I would worry or show signs pf panicking.

Quite the opposite actually, "So far I haven't seen anything that spectacular from the ritual dimension, maybe I was worried for nothing." I then placed my hand on my deck, "It's my turn, I draw!" I drew my next card, "It's here, now it's time to try something a little more familiar to the people here in ritual," I thought as I noticed a certain card in my hand along with the one I drew, "From my hand I activate the ritual spell Odd eyes advent!" I declared.

"A ritual spell!?" They gasped.

"Not just any ritual, this spell allows me to ritual summon any dragon type monster from my hand or even my graveyard! And all I need to do is tribute a certain type of monster, like my odd eyes phantom dragon!" As I finished my sentence, an altar with red and blue torches appeared behind me, and odd eyes was absorbed into it! "Dragon with dichromatic eyes, answer the calling of the ancients and awaken from your earthbound slumber to crush our enemies with the force that governs the world! I ritual summon! Arise, from the depths of the earth! Level 7! Odd eyes gravity dragon!" The altar shattered before revealing a large blue and brown dragon with rock like armour rise from the ground and roaring tremendously!

"Tch! To think this kid has mastery over a powerful ritual monster as that…." Bandit 1 grunted.

At that moment the girl decided to look out from behind the tree, "Wow, that monster certainly has a powerful aura around it…." she thought surprised that I was already that skilled for someone she just met.

"Gravity dragon's effect activates! When successfully summoned, all spells and traps my opponent controls return to the hand! Furthermore effects and cards can't be activated in response to this effect!" I announced.

"What did you say!?" They gasped.

"Gravity repulsion!" Gravity dragon roared loudly before stomping its foot on the earth, generating a massive shockwave which blew their stone slates off the field!

"Tch! Now our monsters are defenceless!" The bandits grunted angrily.

"Okay odd eyes! Attack disk blade rider with Graviton bomb!" I commanded as my dragon roared and generated a powerful gravity sphere in its jaws which it fired at the green fiend rider! As it connected the fiend cried in pain as it collapsed to the grind before exploding under sheer pressure!

"Gaaargh!" Bandit 2 cried as he was blown off his feet!

 **Bandit 2: 4000-2900**

"Partner!" Bandit 1 gasped before turning back to me. "Grrrgh! You'll pay for that…. My turn!" A new card slate materialised itself from the ground, looking at it he grinned widely, "Excellent! Now I have all I need to call forth my best monster and destroy you!"

I was still undeterred, "You think that's supposed to scare me?" I said raising an eyebrow.

He then grinned, "You'll change your mind once you see this! I play the zera ritual spell card!" He then turned to one of his card slates which then glowed and flipped forward revealing its artwork! A moment I took advantage of.

"Not so fast! I activate Odd eyes gravity dragon's special ability! High gravity pressure!" Gravity dragon's eyes glowed before unleashing a powerful gravitational field which covered both thugs in an instant!

"H..Hey! What's up!? I can't make my move!" The thug grunted as he was practically frozen in place and couldn't move his card slate!

"Due to gravity dragon's special ability! From now on you'll have to pay 500 life points in order to activate any of your card effects!" I answered.

"Say what!?"

"What a tactic….Now he'll be able to further restrict their plays, he certainly has a lot of experience….." The girl noted as she was even more intrigued by my duelling.

"Tch! I'll take you regret putting me in such a humiliating position! But for now I'll play by your rules! ARGH!" He then screamed as a huge amount of pressure fell upon him as he activated his card! (Similar to how Gongnenzaka did so in episode 142)

 **Bandit 1: 4000-3500**

"No matter, 500 points is still a small price compared to what I'm about to call forth! Now Zera ritual activates!" A huge throne erupted from the ground with a sinister figure sitting on top! "Watch as I sacrifice my level 7 Zoa and level 1 seven armed fiend in my hand to call forth one of the strongest creatures you've laid eyes upon!" He declared as both fiend monsters were absorbed into the throne's core! It then erupted in flames as the figure sitting on the throne stood up and then transformed!

"Fallen angel of the abyss, cast off all that remains of your former self and bathe in the power of pandemonium! Be transformed by your newfound sacrifices! I ritual summon! Rise! Level 8! Zera the mant!" Emerging from the flames was a larger dinosaur like fiend monster in black and bluish markings and wearing a pink cape! With 2800 attack points and letting out a powerful cry!

"That's pretty impressive…" I admitted, "Its just as strong as my odd eyes gravity dragon."

"Your monster will soon be outmatched! Once I activate another spell! Energy drain!" One tablet revealed itself, "With this spell I can reduce one monster's attack strength on the field right down to 0! Not so powerful now huh!?" The card slate appeared and began to glow.

"That must have been what he set earlier and was hoping to get me when I attacked…." I thought, "Did you forget? While odd eyes is out every effect you activate costs you 500 points!" I reminded him as odd eyes unleashed its gravity field again!

"Argh!" Bandit 1 groaned as the wave put on more pressure upon him!

 **Bandit 1: 3500-3000**

"Grrgh!" he groaned before gnashing his teeth, "I don't care! Now that your dragon is about to be completely helpless, we're about to have a huge burden lifted off our shoulders!" The spell then realised a dark beam which severely drained odd eyes' power as it roared in pain before slumping to the ground weakened!

 **2800-0**

"Tch!" I grunted seeing how my fiend had become helpless.

"That's not all! Energy drain's effect also allows me to draw another card slate!" Another tablet appeared before the bandit, "Alright Zera you're up! Tear that lizard to pieces with your claws of obscuration!" His fiend ritual monster roared before charging forward and flashing its deadly talons at me and Odd eyes gravity dragon!

I quickly reacted by seizing an action card nearby me! "I activate the action spell evasion! This allows odd eyes gravity dragon to bypass your attack!" Odd eyes then leapt out of Zera's way and avoiding its deadly claws despite its weakened state!

My opponents couldn't believe their eyes, "What trickery is this!?"

"Those 'cards' can be used!?"

As i landed on the ground I breathed relieved, "Phew, that was a pretty close one, this field has kinda grown on me already." I thought to myself grateful to have a tactical advantage when I needed it.

"Grrr, guess that means I have no choice but to end my turn here and now." Bandit 1 grumbled, "No matter, thanks the special effect of energy drain, your dragon is practically declawed and defanged permanently! Good luck making use of him now!"

"Thanks partner! You can be sure that I'll finish what you started! Draw!" Bandit 2 declared as another card slate appeared before him, "Now I activate-"

"You say my monster is useless, but while he may lack in bite now his bark is still as lethal! High gravity pressure!" I interrupted as odd eyes released its gravity field again!

 **Bandit 2: 2900-2400**

"Grrgh! A little pain is worth the reward we'll gain after you're out of the way!" The bandit grumbled as he proceeded with his move, "I play the ritual spell, Return of dokurorider! By sacrificing the level 6 air eater in my hand, I now fulfil the conditions to ritual summon the terrible spirit who haunts the roads of the underworld!" The insect like fiend monster tablet vanished before being absorbed into the ritual spell! Which generated a dark mist and the sound of an engine revving could be heard through the dark fog! "Race across the barren fields of the netherworld and enact chaos and confusion wherever you go! I ritual summon! Level 6! Dokurorider!" A demonic warrior riding a fiendish bike rode out of the dust and did a spin before coming to a stop before his master!

"Only 1900 attack points? What could he be up to?" I thought.

"Now I activate ritual weapon! By equipping this powerful armament onto my creature, it gains an additional 1500 attack points! Now that's what I call power!" An ancient crossbow like weapon materialised on the hand of Dokurorider, pumping up its strength greatly!

 **1900-3400**

"That's too powerful!" The girl gasped in shock at the all powered up rider!

I then grit my teeth in frustration, "You'll still have to pay 500 points for that!"

 **Bandit 2: 2400-1900**

"Grrgh! Now to be rid of that annoying curse of an effect once and for all! Dokurorider! Charge forward and flatten that lizard!" The rider then smirked before revving the engine on his bike before thrusting forward at rapid speed!"

"Hehe! Not only will your baneful monster's effect be out of the way for good, this attack will also take out a chunk of your life points!" Bandit 1 chuckled at the sight.

As he closed in, I then narrowed my eyes, "Time to show these guys a little duel style from back home!" I then leapt onto gravity dragon's back! "Let's go!" Gravity then roared before leaping out of the way with me on top!

"Did he just ride his monster!?"

"He must be out of his mind to get that close to his beast!" They gasped.

"I don't believe it…." The girl said to herself, "I've never seen anyone act with their monster before…."

"Fine, 2 birds for the price of stone then! We'll run you both down!" Dokurorider then charged after us as we leapt across the battle field trying to evade the attacks but to little avail! On the other hand, the girl who was watching me seemed mesmerised by my act instead, as she clasped her hands over her mouth in surprise.

Meanwhile I felt a bit put off that they called my dragon a beast, like if it was some kind of wild animal! Clearly these 2 have no connection with their cards. Odd eyes gravity dragon then leapt into the air as I snatched a floating action card and then looked at it disappointed, "This card…Sorry Odd eyes…." I then looked back to odd eyes in regret who nodded before throwing me out of harm's way! I could only watch as Dokurorider closed the gap and rammed straight through odd eyes gravity dragon before it exploded!

"Urgh!" I grunted as the shockwaves rattled me!

 **Ryuga: 4000-3400**

"I don't know what stunt you were hoping to pull off with that," Bandit 2 commented, "But now for an attack form my chaos rider gustaph! Feel free to run him over! Hahahaha!" Bandit 2 laughed as his second monster began to rev up his engine and then charged forward at me! I stood my ground courageously to their surprise, before playing the action card I grabbed!

"I activate the action spell damage banish!" I then turned ghostly as the rider passed through me, "Thanks to this, any battle damage from your monster's attack is negated!"

"Again!? You're even more harder to squash than a cockroach enhanced by magic!" they ranted in frustration. "No matter, now that your eyesore of a monster is no more, we can use all the effects as we please!"

Bandit 2 then looked to another card tablet he had, "In that case, I'll start with the pot of greed! Now I can add 2 card slates to my arsenal!" 2 new slates erupted from the ground, making him grin with delight! "Excellent! Now I activate the continuos spell ritual cage!" An electrical cage like field then erupted and covered his side of the field, while concentrating mainly around Dokurorider! "With this I will no longer take any damage involving my ritual monsters! Furthermore they can't be targeted or destroyed by monster effects! Meaning, I am now practically untouchable!" Bandit 2 boasted.

"And don't forget my almighty Zera the mant! No matter what monster you call out they're no match for him or dokurorider! Face it you're done!" Bandit 1 followed as the 2 of them began gloating.

"Oh no…..This can't be…" The girl thought fearfully as she then clasped her hands together pleading, "Don't give up! You can still come back!" She called as I turned around.

"Don't worry, I have no intention of quitting anytime soon." I then returned my eyes to my opponents, "It seems I may have underestimated ritual duelists slightly…." I thought to myself seriously before regaining my composure, "That won't ever happen again." I vowed. As my turn came, I then looked down to my deck, "So this is what I have been dealt…which means…the outcome will now be decided by what I draw next. Come on guys…." I then placed my hand on my top card.

"Oh…..Please…..Let this be it…" The girl begged.

I then opened my eyes, "I DRAW!" Looking at my hand, I realised there was only one way out for me now, "Seems I can't put this off any longer….I have no choice now." Taking a gamble at blowing my cover, I grabbed a card from my hand, "I discard this card in order to activate pendulum call!" I announced as I discarded a card from my hand, "Now I can add 2 magician pendulum monsters from my deck to my hand!" The 2 cards ejected from my deck.

"What did he say?"

"Pendulum? What's that?"

"You'll soon see!" I said taking the very 2 cards I added, "Now I use scale 5 **Odd eyes observer magician** and scale 10 **Odd eyes dualism magician** to set the pendulum scale!" I laid out both magician monsters across my duel disk which then lit Pendulum across it! Both my new monsters rose in pillars of light,

 **Odd eyes Dualism magician, Level 7, Spellcaster, Pendulum, DARK, ATK: 2500 DEF: 2000 Pendulum Scale: 10**

Dualism magician was a tall heterochromatic male (Blue and yellow) with medium length brown hair who sported a cloak similar to that of enlightened paladin but was covered in a shade of black and white. He also wielded a long mage staff which had an ornament at the end which resembled the Tao, one half black and the other white.

 **Odd eyes observer magician, Level 1, Spellcaster, Pendulum, Tuner, LIGHT, ATK: 500 DEF: 200 Pendulum Scale: 5**

Observer magician too was heterochromatic (green and yellow) but also more elderly and sage like in appearance, with a long grey beard and wrinkled face, as well as wearing a veil similar to time gazer magician's. His garments were more priestly and holy in appearance which resembled that of a priest's uniform in the temple. (Like those worn by the man in the solemn counter trap cards) He also held an ancient wooden staff which was similar to that of dark sage's and appeared as though he was sitting cross-legged while observing the situation from high above.

"Mighty power filled with limitless potential, carve before me the path of hope that shall lead to victory! I pendulum summon! Come forth my loyal monster!" I called as a single purple light shot out, "Return from the shadows! Odd eyes phantom dragon!" My first monster returned and roared loudly in its rebirth!

"What in the world is a pendulum summon and how's you do it!?

"You can't just revive a monster from the graveyard like that!" They gasped bewildered by what they just witnessed.

"Quite easily actually, and who said I revived my monster from the graveyard?" I replied as I raised my duel disk, "Pendulum monsters go to the extra deck instead of the graveyard, and with the current scale as I just set, I can summon monsters from my hand or face up in my extra deck all at once from levels 6-9!"

"What!? Summoning multiple powerful monsters without having to sacrifice anything!?"

"Extra deck!? This is madness!" They cried.

The girl then covered her mouth in shock, "Oh my….I've never imagined such power existed…."

Ignoring their confusion I continued, "There's more! Now I activate the special ability of my noble dragon magician from my graveyard! (Discarded earlier from pendulum call) While I have an odd eyes monster out, I can special summon her from either my hand or graveyard by lowering its level by 3! So return! Noble dragon magician!" As the small child spell caster returned to the field, she then lowered my dragon's level to 4 with her wand.

"Big deal, so you now got 2 useless monsters. No way they can touch us!" Bandit 1 chuckled.

"On their own maybe, but that's not how I duel! My heart is as one with my monsters, and together we'll overcome anything that stands against us! Now watch as I unify their powers into not one but 2 powerful new monsters in their place!" i proclaimed.

The girl's ears perked up as she heard what I said, "Unity? What can he be talking about? Could he planning to…..combine them?"

It was now or never, as I took another card that would no doubt erase my entire cover to the locals, "Now I activate the spell harmonic synchro fusion! Using monsters on my field I can perform a synchro summon and a fusion summon together!" Odd eyes and noble dragon magician split into 2 copies of themselves with the spell's effects.

"What are you doing!?"

"Synchro and fusion!? What madness are you blabbering about now!?" They called out.

"Watch and you'll see! First I tune level 3 noble dragon magician to my level 4 odd eyes phantom dragon!" Noble dragon magician split into 3 rings for odd eyes to pass through, "Dragon with dual coloured eyes, harness the fire within you and burn with the flames of the meteors! I synchro summon! Appear! Level 7! Odd eyes meteor burst dragon!" My synchro odd eyes appeared on the field in burning blaze of glory! "Now I fuse both of them together!" Noble dragon magician and odd eyes then fused together as red and purple lights, "Dual eyed dragon of the shadows, unite with the noble sorceress who's knowledge of your kind knows no bounds, and be reborn with the winds of change! I fusion summon! Appear! Level 7! Odd eyes vortex dragon!" A powerful whirlwind whipped up before my green fusion dragon tore through it and let out a powerful shriek!

As both dragons took their stand on the field, everyone was caught almost completely speechless. "I don't believe what I'm seeing…."

"This guy….what kind of kid could use such powerful monsters that are completely out of this world!"

(Funny you should mention that….) I thought to myself hearing that statement.

"Amazing….Who is this person? Not only is he courageous, he also possess many spectacular powers I've never seen in my entire life…." The girl thought as she looked on in awe of the newfound power she was gazing upon. "Could I….possibly learn to do that as well?"

"I activate vortex dragon's special ability! When successfully summoned, I can target one opposing monster in attack mode and return it to its controller's hand! Vile vortex!" Vortex's wings began to glow as a veil of wind was beginning to whip up around it!

Bandit 2 then smirked, "Hehe! Haven't you forgotten? My ritual cage is in effect so my dokurorider is unaffected by your feeble breeze!"

"Who says that was my target?" I replied to his surprise.

"What!?" He and his partner gasped.

"My target will be your other monster! Chaos rider gustaph!" Odd eyes vortex dragon then sent the winds straight towards the red rider monster, causing him to panic frantically and then being blown back into a card slate which returned to his master!

The bandit then grit his teeth in frustration, "Tch! No matter! My Dokurorider is still more powerful than your monster!"

"Don't be so sure! It takes more than strength to win a duel it also takes courage and cunning!" I retorted, "Now I'll show you! Odd eyes meteor burst dragon! Attack Dokurorider with meteor flame strike!" I declared as my fiery dragon roared and charged forward, unleashing a powerful fire blast!

"What!? Attacking with a monster that's completely outclassed!?" The girl gasped in surprise.

"Hehe! Overconfident kid. Go ahead and destroy yourself! It'll be that much easier for us!" Bandit 1 chuckled amused but already forgetting the action cards around us!

I then leapt up a floating platform and snatched a floating action card, as Dokurorider revved up his bike and charged through the flames, shredding through them easily! "I play the action spell overpass! This swaps the attack points of our monsters!" The spell caused the attack swap at the very last minute!

 **3400-2500**

 **2500-3400**

"This can't be!" The bandit gasped in alarm as the flames suddenly became even more intense and incinerated the rider in an instant! "AARRRGGHH!" he cried as the resulting flames singed him hard! Only to be barely protected by ritual cage!

"Now odd eyes vortex dragon attacks directly! Whirlwind breath!" My green dragon growled before taking to the air and firing a gust of wind from its jaws that swirled vigorously like a tornado and then engulfing my opponent!

"No! Please! Put me down!" he cried frantically as the winds suddenly carried him into the air at everyone's amazement!

"As you wish." I smugly replied as I had my dragon call off his attack, which then caused the bandit to fall to the ground!

"GAAAAAARRRRGGGHH!" he screamed as he fell before landing hard on the ground

CRASH!

 **Bandit 2: 1900-0**

"Wow…..That was…actually beautiful. His teamwork and coordinating with his monsters is unlike anything I've ever witnessed…." the girl gasped in amazement.

"Partner no!" Bandit 1 cried now seeing his friend was out cold before turning to me with a furious expression, "Grrr! When my turn comes around, me and Zera are going to completely destroy you!" He intended to not repeat the same mistake and to take advantage of the action cards around us this time!

"Too bad you won't have a turn." I replied to him unworried, as the duel had just been decided.

"What did you say!?" He gasped looking up as the girl next to me mirrored his expression.

"He couldn't possibly….Wait…that facedown? Is that what he means?"

"I activate the trap wonder xyz!" I revealed my facedown, "With this I can now perform an xyz summon using monster on my field with the same level! So I use level 7 odd eyes meteorburst dragon and vortex dragon and build the overlay network!" The trap made meteor and vortex change into green and red lights before diving into the xyz portal generated by the trap!

"Another new summon!?" The girl gasped.

"Tch! We may have underestimated this guy…." Bandit 1 grumbled annoyed.

"Fangs of rebellion gain a new power and slash the wall of darkness! I xyz summon! Rise! Rank 7! Dark anthelion dragon!" My powerful black xyz dragon rose from the portal and snarled menacingly from the portal!

"Incredible….He has complete mastery and connection with his monster…." The girl thought as she felt the strong connection between me and my dragon. "This man, is a friend of the spirits….like me…."

The bandit on the other hand was focused on an entirely different matter, "3000 attack points!? N…no worries! He still doesn't have enough power to win!"

"You guys know nothing of real power, so how about I give you a demonstration!" I yelled as I prepared for the finishing move, "I activate dark anthelion dragon's special ability! By using one overlay unit, Dark anthelion dragon cuts the attack points of your Zera the mant in half and gains that lost attack! "Go! Absorbing Eclipse!"" Dark anthelion then swallowed one of its units before firing a powerful electric discharge which ensnared Zera! Who roared in pain as its power was sapped into my dragon! "Furthermore, it can't be destroyed in battle and I gain the points your monster lost as life points!"

"What!? That's insane!" The bandit could do nothing as I prepared my endgame of the duel!

 **2800-1400**

 **3000-4400**

 **Ryuga: 3400-4800**

The bandit then shuddered in complete terror at the sight of the even more so powered monster! "Oh no! It's grown too powerful! If that attack connects-"

"It ends here!" I declared, "Go dark anthelion! Attack zera the mant with imperial wrath of black vengeance!" Dark anthelion roared tremendously as it began to create a powerful black hole above itself from tis jaws, almost turning the entire sky black, before firing a powerful beam from it!

The sight of the attack was so terrifying, the bandit was completely paralysed by fear and could only watch a it immediately pierced through his monster causing it to growl in pain before exploding before him! "GAAAAAARARRGGHHH!"

 **Bandit 1: 3000-0**

 **Ryuga: WIN!**

"Incredible…." The girl gasped as she saw me emerge victorious from the duel and watched as the field began to disappear, almost like magic! "I….I must know who he is….and how he does it with such ease…."

"Phew, not bad for our first duel here guys." I thought to myself breathing relieved, I had to admit, I may have underestimated rituals slightly, something I won't repeat next time. Before I could turn to where I told the girl to hide, I overheard groaning sounds, as the 2 bandits that had been knocked down were slowly getting back up to their feet.

"Grr! You may have beaten us but you haven't won!"

"Our client promised us a hefty reward already for the girl, and with you it'll no doubt be even more so!" They got up and glared at me with furious eyes and gnashing teeth, "Guess that means we've got no other choice! We'll have to take you both in by force!"

"Gasp!" The girl went as they tightened their hands into hard fists! I only grew even more furious, they had the nerve to act in such a way in defeat? Disgraceful….."You guys wouldn't dare…."

They refused to heed my warning, which was a big mistake, "Take this!" As the 2 of them tried to charge in, I held nothing back from inside me! "Show them exactly who they're dealing with." I said inside me.

ROAR!

"GAAAAAHHH!" They screamed as they fell backwards at the sight of 4 powerful dragons that suddenly erupted from my aura which I emitted out of my anger and righteous feelings.

"He can actually bring out this much of a spirit's power without calling it forth?" She said out loud in amazement at the white drake, blue wyvern, red basilisk and black hydra that had appeared in spirit form!

"Leave now, before I really show you the full extent, of a dragon's wrath." I warned as each one of my dragons roared ferociously and furiously at the insects who tried to lay their filthy hands on their beloved master!

ROAR!

"Tch! This wasn't in our contract! Come on let's get out of here!"

"But we can't! If our client finds out we failed-"

The bandit with blond hair grabbed him by the neck collar and pulled him in, "Who's going to tell him?! Come on before we end up as a meal for those monsters!" he yelled frantically to which his partner nodded in agreement! The 2 of them turned and began to run off into the woods without hesitation! "We'll remember this! You haven't seen the last of us!" Was the last thing I heard frpm them as they disappeared into the woods.

"Sigh…I really wanted to eat them too…." Tiamat grumbled feeling hungry as we watched them leave.

"That wouldn't be right, besides it would set us back several years, and not to mention we would scare the soul out of this defenceless maiden." Jormangandr replied disapprovingly to his sister's violent attitude.

"Defenceless maiden?" I questioned curiously before remembering why I duelled in the first place! I then turned behind to the tree where I told the girl to hide. I then notice her peering her head out looking somewhat fearful and uneasy at what just took place.

"It's okay now, you can come out." I said to her reassuringly that everything was fine as they returned to my deck.

"Thank you for saving me," The girl replied politely, in a prim and proper manner while bowing, "If I may ask, what is your name?"

"My name?" I replied while blushing slightly, (Still feeling awkward from her manner, it was as if she was addressing someone of really high status so I felt kinda flattered) "It's Ryuga, Ryuga Shirogane."

"Thank you Ryuga Shirogane, I am in your debt for saving me from that pair of marauders just now." She thanked while bowing again and holding out her short dress.

"Hehe, please it's no problem, I was only doing what was obvious. Can't let crooks like that get away with harming defenceless people right?" I replied while scratching my head, "Also, just call me Ryuga."

"Very well then, Ryuga." she replied, "I am most impressed, not only did you show duel skill in indoor earlier performance, but to command such powerful dragons with ease and to have them frighten off those marauders just now through their own spiritual power is most impressive."

"Yup I agree and not just that, they're also irreplaceable friends of mine. They may seem ferocious at first but when you get to know them, they can actually be really friendly too." I said with a smile before suddenly exclaiming, "Wait a minute….You actually saw them!?"

"Haha, why yes I did." She giggled, "And I indeed felt a very strong connection to each everyone of your monsters. You aren't just a warrior skilled in duelling but also have quite a noble heart in order to be in such control and connection with your monsters."

"She can see duel spirits!?" Fafnir gasped as similar expressions of shock followed on Tiamat and Jormangandr from inside my deck.

"It seems there may be more to this dimension than we first believed Ryuga." Bahamut followed.

"I agree…." I replied softly to my duel disk and hopingly she didn't notice. "If she could see them, no doubt those 2 guys did too….What if everyone can actually see duel monsters like I can? That'd be really something…."

Unbeknowst to me, she actually noticed it fairly easily, "He even communicates with them too in proper conversation, they must be really close. Such a person can't possibly have any wrong intentions…." She thought to herself feeling more at ease and finding me more trustworthy.

I then returned to the matter at hand, "Say um, I didn't quite get your name yet Miss-"

"Oh pardon me," she replied politely, "My name is Ikuchi. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Well then Ikuchi, if I may ask? What happened just now? How did you end up in such a predicament?" I asked curiously wanting to know more.

She then reluctantly answered, "It….began not too long ago, was out for a stroll through the countryside for some fresh air, till I was attacked by that duo of bandits." She said remembering the incident that nearly traumatised her, "They overpowered my escorts and then went for me. I managed to escape from them on foot but they caught up to me in short time and cornered me at the base of the cliff, where I met you."

"Escorts? Is she like some celebrity or something?" I thought to myself hearing that statement, "Do you have any ideas why were those thugs would attack you?" I asked curiously.

"Oh that? Well….you see…." she hesitated to speak out, finding it difficult to explain.

I then raised my eyebrow suspiciously, "Yes? What's the matter? Something you can't say?" I said as I came in a little closer, but at that very moment.

"Don't you dare take another step!" A voice yelled from out of nowhere, which was suddenly followed by the sound of galloping hooves and the neighing of horses. Turning around I took a step back to see a group of armoured knights riding on horses heading my way! Some of which held out banners which he'd some kind of symbol which resembled a blue dragon. In the blink of an eye they immediately surrounded us in a perfect circle!

"Your highness!" One of them called out as he lifted his helmet's front, revealing a man with a middle aged face, with serious eyes and brownish moustache and beard underneath it. On closer inspection he actually resembled Freed the matchless general, coincidence? After laying eyes upon Ikuchi, a gentle smile spread across his face, "Thank goodness you're safe and that we managed to find you! Your father was so worried about you!" he said as he got off his horse and kneeled before her.

"Captain Jilen!" Ikuchi gasped as she ran in closer "You came, I'm terribly sorry for worrying you all…." she said happily to be surrounded by familiar faces.

I then walked up to them curiously, "So, I take it you guys know each other?" I asked putting my hand on her shoulder.

The captain suddenly glared daggers at me! "You lowly peasant boy! How dare you lay a hand on Princess Ikuchi?! Guards! Seize him!" He ordered as suddenly the soldiers around us lowered long and sharp lancers all at me!

"P…PRINCESS!?" I gasped with my 4 dragons completely speechless at what we all just heard.

"J..Jilen! Wait! You don't-! Hey!" kochi gasped as some soldiers pulled her out of the way

"Stand back your highness! No harm shall come to you anymore!" They said, "Let us handle this defiler!"

"You don't understand!" She cried but to little avail.

"Ummm, if I may speak, I think there's a huge misunderstanding here…." I said nervously while having the lances still aiming at my head!

"Silence you scoundrel! By order of King Avalon, you are guilty of the most unforgivable crime of abduction!" Jilen yelled angrily. "Therefore, you shall suffer the maximum sentence of instant execution!"

"Oh boy…." I sweat dropped.

Meanwhile from inside my deck, my dragons looked on wondering who they could possibly help me, "Now can we eat them?"

"Tiamat!" The rest of them yelled angrily.

"What?" She asked back.

 **The card energy drain used was from yugioh DM when Joey Wheeler duelled Mako Tsunami, and the odd eyes cards I used here were served from some OCG effects of odd eyes pendulum dragon and for stargazer and time gazer magician's original anime effects before they became pendulum monsters.**

 **Also duelling in the ritual dimension will take a form similar to ancient egypt in DM or in the ancient world in Zexal when Nasch and Vector duelled in their past lives, with diadhanks and stone tablets. Also it's a world where the human and spirit dimensions are practically one, where duel monsters can roam free in the wild but only certain ones can see them in spirit form.**

 **As for Ryuga, an unexpected turn of events has fallen upon him! How shall he manage to prove his innocence and get out of this? Stay tuned.**

Odd eyes Dualism magician

Pendulum Effect During your End Phase: You can destroy this card, and if you do, add 1 Pendulum Monster with 1500 or less ATK from your Deck to your hand. You can only use each Pendulum Effect of "Odd-Eyes dualism magician" once per turn.

Monster effect

If this card battles an opponent's monster, any battle damage this card inflicts to your opponent is doubled. Once per turn, when exactly 1 other Pendulum Monster you control (and no other cards) is returned to your hand by an opponent's card effect (except during the Damage Step): You can Special Summon 1 monster from your hand with the same name as that returned to the hand.

Odd eyes observer magician

Pendulum effect

Once per turn you can activate of of these 2 effects:-

-You can target 1 monster you control; it cannot be destroyed by battle.

-You can target 1 Spell/Trap Card you control; it cannot be destroyed by card effects.

Monster effect If you have 2 "Magician" cards in your Pendulum Zones, while this card is in your hand or Graveyard: You can Special Summon this card, but banish it when it leaves the field. You can only use this effect of "Odd eyes observer magician" once per turn.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

At a rough, jagged cliff, a narrow pathway had been stretched out across the walls of its side which then stretched down to where the sea was as the waves continued to brush against them. Up above on the coastal path itself, a large carriage being pulled by horses rode along it which was also accompanied by a troupe of castle knights. "Phew…..thank you very much for being able to explain things Princess…." I breathed relieved feeling I could finally relax, while I sat in the comfortable carriage seat. Earlier, the 2 of us had been surrounded by a team of knights who had been sent by her father apparently to rescue her. Just when I believed things would get better, they then accused me as being her kidnapper and planned to skewer me with swords and spears on the spot! Luckily Ikuchi managed to break out of a guard's hold on her before stepping in between the sharp, jagged weapons and me. She managed to explain things clearly to them and well….after a series of overdramatic apologies, here's where we ended up now. Being escorted back to her home, which was called the kingdom of Norvagen (The most prosperous and flourishing kingdom in the entire world, or should I say ritual dimension).

"Please, just call me Ikuchi." she replied nicely to me as she sat just opposite of me but in front, "Also, no thanks are truly necessary in fact, it's I who should be indebted to you."

"Milady, you mustn't be so casual about this." Captain Jilen spoke out to us from outside window to us inside while riding on a black horse, "Despite his heroic actions, he is but a guest in your presence so he must give you proper respect you deserve."

"Normally yes captain, but he's an acceptation." she said to her guard before turning to me, "After all, he saved me earlier from that pair of bandits. The way you fought them all off really was a spectacle and I'm certain my father will be willing and able to repay you any reward of your choosing."

"Oooooh kay….." I replied, "Wow, so she's an actual princess….so I guess royalty is an actual thing here in this dimension…no wonder she was such a prime target for those bandits earlier." I thought to myself amazed to be in her presence and yet she was treating me like an equal, it's not everyday one gets an honour as great as this.

"Your highness! You can't be serious!" Jilen gasped in shock, "A member of the royal family must never stoop down to the level of a commoner!"

"Commoner?" I thought to myself with a sweat drop, "If he knew of my position as a former lancer or better yet former divine dragon, he wouldn't be talking so badly of me…."

She then narrowed her eyes, "I believe you owe him an apology yourself Jilen, considering you tried to execute him on the spot when he committed no crime but the complete opposite of it." Her statement made the high and mighty captain gasp and then lower his head in shame. She then turned to me once more, "I hope you can forgive him Ryuga. Jilen may have been….overprotective earlier and can jump to conclusions rather quickly, but he means well and takes his duty as leader and as my personal bodyguard very seriously. In fact, he has been doping so ever since I was a little child, so you can pretty much understand why he resorted to such…extreme measures earlier…."

I then sweat dropped, "It's fine," I replied, "Though it may have been intense and unexpected, in the end it was just a simple misunderstanding and he was just doing his job so I completely understand."

He then bowed down suddenly while still riding his horse, "Th…Thank you for pardoning my intentions! I admit I was wrong to accuse you of such an outrageous act, thus I ended up putting your life in danger. I swear such a mistake shall never happen again!"

"Uhh….apology accepted?" I said while sweat dropping at his grovelling, "Overdramatic much?"

"Princess, I hope you can also accept my sincerest apologies," Jilen said turning his attention to the girl next to me, "I have failed you as your protector and captain, but you have my word that shall never happen again!"

"It wasn't your fault, I am partially to blame for my recent predicament, I was….not feeling myself earlier so I didn't think to bring more escorts with me. But you can be sure I will be wiser the next time I decide to take a stroll through the countryside." she replied, "As for you Ryuga, I still have a lot of questions I want to ask you, but I suppose we can save that until we reach the kingdom."

"Sure thing your highness." I replied thinking it'd be best to keep my disk and anything technologically related away for the the being, otherwise I'd be raising even more suspicion amongst the few people I've barely managed to get acquainted with. A while later we were moving along the bank of a large flowing river in a bright open space. Feeling bored, I took a look out the window to see the sights passing by, but all I saw was a plain empty countryside field with the river running through them, which I had to admit was beautiful and peaceful, but all too calm and quiet. Suddenly I heard a splash further along the banks, focusing a bit harder, I saw a large fish leap out and splash back into the water! But not just any fish, it was actually a 7-coloured fish! "Hey! Did you just see that!?" I gasped which made Ikuchi nearly jump for surprise.

"What!? What is it?" she gasped as she turned to me, apparently she had been deep in thought and took my call for a wake up call.

"I just saw a really big and colourful fish down by the river! Quick before you miss it!" I said which made her hurry to my side. As we both looked out she then saw the very same fish splash out of the river again.

"Oh that?" she replied feeling let down for some reason (believing it was something important), "We see a lot those around here in the countryside this time of year."

"For real!?" I gasped in bewilderment, as I hardened my gaze, I saw there wasn't just one but an entire school of them! In fact they were all bunched together similar in the artwork of the card 'Fish and Kicks'. (Then just now…I must have seen real live duel monsters! The skull red bird and faith bird earlier in the forest…But if that's the case then…others like dragons, dinosaurs, fairies and all other types monsters…can exist as real life beings here!? I had prepared myself to anticipate and expect many things when I arrived here, but this….wasn't one of them….)

"S…so many…." I muttered amazed.

"Oh yes indeed. This time of year, the 7 coloured fish actually move upstream from the sea in order to spawn in the lakes in the highlands further up from here. But this is actually a seasonal event so they're nothing to be impressed about, so why make such a huge deal of it?" she asked.

"Actually," I figured I might as well let her know about one major difference between her world and the other 4 dimensions, "From where I come from, such….fish don't exist in real life but only as cards. In fact, all the monsters that we seen so far that appeared from tablets when duels occur….only exist as cards." I replied as I took out a few monsters from my deck and showed them to her.

Ikuchi then gasped, "You…can't be serious! You and your people have easy access to such powerful beasts as mere cards of paper and ink!?" Jilen overheard our conversation and decided to keep it to himself, but couldn't deny that he was becoming even more interested in his lady's mystery saviour. She then leaned in for a closer look at me, eying me all around which made me feel pretty awkward, "Come to think of it, with clothes like what you wear, you can't possibly have come from the kingdom of Norvagen. I know I said I would save all questions till when we arrive, but I can't put it off anymore. Ryuga I must know, who are you? And where exactly do you come from?" she asked.

"It's….very complicated…." I replied scratching my head.

"Oh? What do you mean-" before she could finish her sentence-

"Princess, we have arrived." The coachman said to her which made us both look out the window opening.

"No way…." I gasped as I saw in the distance and set in the horizon was a stunningly beautiful looking kingdom and seemed to glow a purity of white and blue. It was also surrounded by a huge wall (Royal decree wall) on its entire perimeter against the setting of a magnificent field (Sogen) and beyond it was the open sea and sky.

"If you think it looks beautiful now, wait till we pass through the gates Ryuga." Ikuchi said eagerly as she couldn't wait to see my reaction when I get an up close view of it very soon.

We passed through various cottages and crop fields where the farmers and villagers who worked the land stopped their work to greet us with waving hands and cheers to the royals passing through. I kept myself inside to make sure I wouldn't stir up any suspicion as I already drawn enough attention to myself as it was. Passing through the farmland, we came to a set of huge ancient looking gates and as Jilen went up to speak with the guards stationed there, they nodded as they blew a horn which signalled the opening of the gates!

"Ryuga, welcome to the kingdom of Norvagen!"

As we continued throughout the streets, all the towns and housing areas were set in a design which resembled something I would only notice in either fairy tales or books regarding the middle ages! Almost everywhere I turned, people were wearing old style clothing from those which resembled old victorian style. Buildings were often built heavily using marble or other unique building materials in contrast to the brick and concrete used back home. Nearly all of them were of grand design with arches, town squares and avenues as we passed through the centre of the town. Rivers also ran through some of the streets Transportation apparently didn't involve any use of vehicles here, instead they all relied on horse carriages, wagons or even horses themselves while water travel was done by wooden row boats or gondolas. While many of horses resembled those in valkyrie monsters, there were even a handful of trojan horses trotting about which also carried similar duties to the others.

I was even more surprised when I took a closer look at some of the shops and stands. There was also a blacksmith stand where apparently was owned by the monster 'Iron blacksmith Kotetsu' who was hammering at an anchor and forging what looked like a jewel sword! Waiting in line for weapons at that place weren't only people but even a number of warrior monsters like axe raider, warrior day Grepher or warrior lady of the wasteland. Other monsters I noticed about the place included humanoid monsters like maiden of the aqua, magician of faith walking about and having conversations with the local townsfolk, and even caught sight of a pair of D.D crows cawing on the rooftops of some houses before taking off.

"Nobody's going to believe me when I tell them about this…." I thought as I found myself completely unable to speak any words, "A world occupied by humans and duel monsters together? Now I've seen everything….."

"I assume you have no words to describe how you are feeling, right Ryuga?" Ikuchi asked.

"Y…yeah, your home really is much more amazing than I first imagined Ikuchi." I said while looking around the scenery even more than impressed.

"Hee hee, why thank you." she giggled, "But where I actually live isn't here in the town, in fact, we've just arrived." As if I wasn't already impressed enough, we then came before a pair of tall shining white gates which had the symbol of a blue dragon carved into its front, as well as being found on their flags and the carriage for some reason, which opened and revealed the grand palace behind it! It was even more magnificent than when I saw it in the distance earlier. The palace was nearly pure white with the exception of the tops being blue and having various banners and flags which held the same blue dragon symbol over its walls or on the castle tops. The entire palace gave off an ancestral feel to it, in fact, I wonder if this was how this dimension was born after the original one split many years ago...

"Fit for a princess I guess…." I thought to myself convincing myself not to be surprised though finding it really difficult. After coming to a stop before the great doors of the main hall, we soon found ourselves in the main courtyard surrounded by many servants who joyfully waited the return of their mistress. Greeting us were a number of Doriado and Lady of Faiths, which I assumed to be the castle maids and attendants of the entire palace.

"Welcome home dear mistress." they bowed as she stepped out of the carriage, "It is good to see that you are unharmed."

"I am sorry for worrying you all," she apologised, "But, I wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for my saviour." she then turned back to the carriage and encouraged me to step out into the courtyard. As I did, I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with all kinds of emotion having set foot in royal ground, and my presence brought a length of silence by the attendants who saw me.

They all then did a formal bow, "Ah yes, we have heard about you from the scouts that returned. We humbly thank you for the rescue of our beloved princess." they said.

"It's no problem, I just did what anyone should have done." I replied scratching my head and smiling.

"Ryuga," Captain Jilen mentioned as he walked up to me after speaking with one of his subordinates, "I have received word that his majesty wishes to see you now."

My eyes widened upon hearing his words, "Majesty? As in….the king?" I asked not believing my ears, "Whoa….."

"My father?" Ikuchi asked, "In that case I shall come too, there is much I need to explain."

"I'm afraid not milady." Jilen replied turning to her, "This is a matter the king wishes to have with the boy alone, you'd be wise to respect his words." he replied to her dismay, "And besides, judging by your appearance it'd be unwise to step into the king's throne room in such….an unpleasant state." he said trying his best not to speak badly of her slightly messed up clothing which occurred when she tried to turn throguht the forest earlier to escape the bandits.

"Urgh…." she sighed disappointedly before turning to me, "Sorry Ryuga, I honestly would love to join you to see try father and to speak on your behalf, but….."

"It's fine Ikuchi, I just need to make sure I don't speak out of line and everything will be fine." I replied feeling confident enough, "Trust me, if I can handle my own against some thugs in a duel, surely speaking with tact and sensitivity to a high official or ruler shouldn't be too difficult…..right?"

"Y…yeah…you're right, there's nothing to worry about I suppose." she said back relieved, "But still, once I'm ready I'll meet you in the throne room as soon as I can."

"See you soon then."

"Ryuga, the king will see you now." Jilen replied as he and an escort of guards came and took me inside while Ikuchi headed off with he maids to get changed and cleaned up.

As I came into the room, I noticed that the entire scene was similar to that like a judge's courtroom, where there were rows of seats at the left and right sides of the room and hanging up close to the ceiling, and all of them were occupied by plenty of nobles, people of high authority as well as certain important looking humanoid monsters like hysteric fairy or even judgeman. A red carpet had been laid out from the path I stood on to the other side where it ended with a throne seat. Upon it sat a powerful looking authority figure with a crown, who I assumed to be the king of Norvagen, along with another man who stood by his side (Presumably his aid)

The king who sat on the throne wore a series of regal clothing and robes in red, white and purple and wore a red crown on his head. His face was also quite old aged, which was highlighted by his white hair, moustache and beard. In fact, he shared a strong resemblance to the person of high authority in the card imperial order or imperial custom. The man who stood by his side had hazel hair and wore white sage like robes which also covered nearly his entire body except for his face who bore an aged but serious expression. His robes also had a series of ornaments or decorations which resembled blue dragon scales all around the collar and shoulders, even had a pair of horn like features stuck out on the top of the robe.

"Greetings young outsider, my name is Avalon, Sovereign ruler of the prosperous kingdom of Norvagen." The king said as he stood up from his throne.

"And I am his most trusted advisor and humble servant of the royal family, Enigma." the other man replied.

"It…is an honour to meet you…." I said nervously while also bowing down slowly, I couldn't help but sweat like and because one mistake or misunderstanding could have dire consequences for me in a place like this!

"Rise young man," the king said which I did slowly,"I have heard a lot about you," Avalon said out loud, "I received word from my men that you were the one who saved my daughter from a pair of bandits out in the forest earlier today. Because of that, you have my upmost thanks." he said while bowing slightly and everyone cheering in the room, "However, I also received a report that you did so by utilising not one but at least 3 new forms of monster summoning in order to overcome my daughter's attackers, if I may so respectfully ask, how would explain yourself?"

"In all honesty your majesty," I said, "I apologise if this may come as a surprise, no, astonishing news but what I am about to say may be hard to believe. You see….." Swallowing down hard and nearly sweating drops of blood I confessed- "I'm not from this world."

As I said those words he raised an eyebrow in suspicion,"Excuse me? What did you just say?"

"Simply put, I have come from a different dimension." I answered to everyone's bewilderment!

"Another dimension!?" he gasped as everyone in the hall followed with faces of equal shock and surprise.

WHISPER WHISPER

MUTTER MUTTER

"What I speak is the truth," I said loudly, "You may find this hard to believe but the reason I was able to use summoning methods unknown to this world was because I come from a different dimension. The world I come from is known as pendulum, while this world is known as the ritual dimension. The reason for my being here was to explore out this world in order to establish peaceful relations between it and my world, as well as to learn about its ways and people." I replied.

There was a silence-

"Ahem….Correct me if I am wrong, but if what I heard is true, you come from an entirely different world which utilises various powers which rival our own. And the purpose of you entering ours was to establish a treaty of peace with my kingdom? Is that what you are claiming?" King Avalon asked hoping to clarify what he and his subjects had just heard from me.

"Yes, every word of it." I answered. (Wow, this actually reminds me so much about that time we were brought before the council back at synchro dimension.) Unfortunately for me, I was about to find out that ritual dimension folk weren't as open-minded are they were.

There was a long dramatic pause in the courtroom, until one person suddenly spoke out, "What nonsense!" Everyone then turned quickly to the king's side, seeing it came form his chief advisor, "This child is downright mad! It's impossible for someone like him to possess the powers he claims to have! No doubt he's the one who tried to kidnap the princess for himself and is making up such a ridiculous statement in order to keep his life! Well I say throw him into the dungeon immediately!"

"What!? No!" I gasped as everyone else int he room began to burst into outrage in agreement with the advisor's statement, as they soon began to rush out at me fully armed! I didn't want to do this, but considering the situation I may have no other choice, as I prepared to reach out for my deck and duel disk-

"Stop this at once!" A familiar voice suddenly shouted from behind. Everyone including myself turned to see Princess Ikuchi entering the throne room in her new royal attire. She now wore a small blue gemstone on a lace over her head and pair of clear earrings. She wore a long whitish dress that stretched to her feet, where she wore somewhat pointed heeled shoes. She also had a pinkish ribbon tied on the centre of her dress as well in the form of a bow which held it together. I had to admit, compared to how she initially looked back int he carriage, she was absolutely stunning and I almost didn't recognise her.

"Ikuchi!" Avalon gasped as he came up to and embraced his daughter, "Thank goodness you are safe! When I overheard the news from your coachman that you were attacked….I just…." he wept as tears of relief fell from his cheek.

"Yes indeed your highness….It is so fortunate to have you back unharmed." Enigma replied in a seemingly annoyed tone, which I assume was because she came in unannounced when he was making a statement.

"I am terribly sorry for worrying you father." she replied back to him before letting go and coming to my side, "Pardon my intrusion everyone, but I must speak out on behalf of Ryuga. He indeed wields special powers and I've seen them first hand when he defeated my attackers!"

"If what he says is true, then there may be many more warriors like him in his world, and they all can be of great allegiance to us!"

Everyone in the palace grounds began to mutter and converse with one another, and even her father was at a loss for words.

"Princess! Don't tell me you've actually fallen for this…..commoner's lies!"

"They're not lies! I speak the truth!" she retorted, "I know exactly what I saw and have seen his heart. He is nothing like how you claim him to be! Take a look! He even possess a device unlike anything the kingdom of Norvagen has ever laid eyes upon!" she then said before turning to me and eying my arm, which I then realised she was pointing to my duel disk to show them as proof, which I soon did as I raised my arm.

Avalon raised an eyebrow in suspicion at the item attached to my arm, "What is that? A weapon of sort? I have never seen such a thing."

"It's called a duel disk, a device commonly used in my world." I answered, "Basically it works the same way of your…diadhanks as you call it. It too can call forth monsters and use…spells and traps as well."

Everyone gasped in amazement, "What nerve! You dare claim that mere trinket as that possesses power equal to that of a sacred diadhank!? What insolence!" Enigma yelled angrily.

"I'm more than happy to prove it if you want." I said firmly standing my ground and showing no fear or willingness to backdown, as I raised my arm ready to activate it on the right moment. Once again a dramatic silence filled the room as everyone waited in anticipation

"This is getting us nowhere." Ikuchi thought to herself as she stepped forward, "Father, I sincerely believe that Ryuga's claims to come in peace are genuine, but if you still don't believe him, at least give him a chance to prove himself worthy of the kingdom's entire trust."

"Hmm perhaps you are right my daughter." he replied rubbing his chin.

"Sire! You can't really be serious!" Enigma gasped.

"Even if his origins are completely unknown, if he truly did possess such greta power and had malevolent intentions he would have had us at his mercy so by now. And yet he has not been laid a hand on a cunlge innocent ever since he set foot in Norvagen soil. That alone, is enough for me to allow him the trial of trust!"

"You shall engage in battle with one of my finest warriors in a duel of monsters! Emerge victorious and you shall earn your place in the kingdom, fail, and you are to leave at once and never set foot in here again." he decreed to everyone's surprise, not once in so many decades had their king issued the trial of trust in Norvagen, "Do you accept the conditions young man?"

I was quite nervous and hesitant to agree at first, bit then realised this may be my only chance to prove myself to the entire ritual dimension at once, and without waiting a moment longer I nodded firmly, "I do."

He then blinked his eyes in surprise, "Such determination and resolve….very well then, we shall commence right away then." Everyone then applauded at the response.

"In that case your majesty, allow me to choose the opponent perfectly worthy for a battle as this…child claims himself to be." Enigma bowed before taking his leave and with a slight grin on his face, 'This shall be most amusing to watch indeed….." he chuckled.

Meanwhile, Ikuchi then clasped her hands together, apparently praying for my victory. Her father then took her by the hand, "Come daughter, we shall watch from the special seats reserved for the royal family."

"Yes father." she replied obediently before looking to me, "Good luck Ryuga, I know you can do it!" she said as her final words before leabong with he king.

"Thanks Princess Ikuchi….I might need it…." I then thought to myself as the knights came and took me outside.

As everyone began to escort me to the 'arena' as they called it, Bahamut then materialised in the room and took a look around, carefully eying the symbols and crests that seemed to be everywhere here in the kingdom of Norvagen. "Why does that crest look so….familiar?" he asked himself as he narrowed his eyes. Something else then caught his line of sight, in fact, it was just behind king Avalon's throne. Looking behind he discovered it to be a secret door with 3 grooves on it which resembled slots for duel monster cards.

"I sense great power behind this….a familiar resonance indeed…." He thought as he focused hard after placing his claw on it, "Could it be…" Before he could pause through it, a chorus of trumpets suddenly echoed the hallways from windows around the castle, catching his ears. "It seems they've started Ryuga's test…." he then turned back to the door, "I'll have to investigate this later….." He then faded from sight.

A little while later I was busy preparing myself at the entrance to the arena, and after I had gotten my deck sorted out, I took a deep breath, "Breath….Well, here goes everything." As I stepped out into the light, finding myles in what looked like an actual version of the card 'savage coliseum' with all the seats filled with both people and human monsters, with boos at sneering or cries longing to see a good battle. In the centre right in front of me which was held high above the arena was a royal box seat where Ikuchi and Avalon now sat watching me intently. I was used to having crowds of people watching me whenever I performed entertainment duels back home in Maiami City, not once had I been pressured by having them watch me duel…..until now.

"Warrior!" Avalon called out, "Here in the arena, you will be tested by the spirits of the sealed stones themselves! Without further ado, let the trial commence!" he announced as everyone roared with applause and cheer as the door on the opposite end began to open.

"If I don't win this, not only will I lose my only chance to earn ritual dimension's trust, but I'll have to say goodbye to my friends…family and my life! This is one match I can't afford to lose!" I then stepped forward onto my side of the field and the door at the other end of the arena opened fully. Stepping out of it however, was a familiar face.

"Greetings Ryuga, I have been waiting for this moment." Jilen said as he stepped into the light on his side of the field.

"J..Jilen? You'll be the one duelling me?" I asked.

"Why not?" he replied, "I have wanted to have a match with you ever since I received word about you saving my lady Ikuchi. I wish to see the very power you used to save her from the bandits and determine if what she says about you is true for myself."

"Well then, guess if I prove myself to the captain of the guard maybe I'll be able to convince the king to trust me." I thought seeing hope in the situation.

"Know this, while I am indeed grateful, orders are still orders. My king has decreed that you be tested on your worth and so I shall hold nothing back! So get ready your blade!" he called out to which I nodded.

"Here goes…everything!" I said as I activated my duel disk.

 **Field Spell! Crossover!**

The bright blue space enveloped the entire arena and the floating platforms appeared and action cards dispersed across into various places!

"My word…." Jilen commented as he couldn't believe his eyes while the entire crowd became excited and enticed by the new development!

"What kind of sorcery is this!?" Avalon gasped at the unexpected sight before him and his people.

"It's not magic father," Ikuchi replied, "He said its a form of science and technology. Apparently his world is very advanced in more ways than we can imagine."

"Hmmm, I see…." the king replied as he continued to observe the current events.

Jilen then turned his eyes around the new field and observed the floating action cards and platforms scattered around, "From what I heard from my lady, these…'cards' can actually be used at any time during the duration of the duel. Is this true?" he asked curiously.

"It is sir." I answered, "But in honour of this test of trust, I promise not to use any of them. This will be a fair one on one match with no strings or advantages for either side."

He then smiled, "I see….I shall take you up on your word." he said pleased to hear my answer, "May the best man win!"

DUEL!

 **Jilen: 4000**

 **Ryuga: 4000**

"If I'm going to prove that I'm no threat to anyone, I'll have to choose my moves carefully…." I thought to myself as we began, "You may have the first turn if you want…." I said politely to him.

"How generous, you seem to have good manners as well, commendable." Jilen replied feeling flattered, "However, in the battlefield, there is little room for mercy so you can be sure to expect the same from me! Prepare yourself for I shall not hold back!" he then said seriously.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." I replied.

"Very well then, let's begin!" Jilen declared, "First I shall summon Picador fiend in attack mode!" The winged skeleton fiend riding on a bone horse appeared from the card slab as it flipped, onto the battlefield! "Now I place 3 facedowns." 3 card slates fell forward facedown, "And finally I activate the continuos spell Mirage of Nightmare!" The continuos stone spell revealed itself as it moved onto he field facing forward "With this, I can draw up to 4 cards during your standby phase, however, during my standby phase I'll have to discard up to 4 cards. Now my turn ends."

I then narrowed my eyes at him already using up his hand to fully take advantage of his spell's effect, clearly this guy is a well seasoned duelist, meanign I can't afford to let him get the upper hand. "My turn! I draw!" I drew a card from my deck.

"Now that your standby phase has arrived, my spell activates!" Jilen called out, "And since my hand is empty I can now draw 4 new cards!" as he finished 4 new card slabs erupted from the ground before him.

"Too bad you'll have to get rid of those later on when your turn comes." I said.

Jilen then smirked to my surprise, "Do I? How naive if you think I'll actually go through with such a hindering condition."

"Wh…what do you mean?" I asked suspiciously, "You said it yourself that your card's negative side effect will activate when your standby phase arrives."

"True but what if I eliminated that very condition before that happens?" he replied as he turned to one facedown, "I activate my first facedown! Emergency provisions!" The spell flipped up in stone card form, "By sacrificing any other spell or trap on my field I can gain 1000 life points for each one! Now Mirage of nightmare has served its purpose, so I sacrifice it! Furthermore, it's effect will no longer apply when my turn arrives." Emergency provisions then generated a worm like creatures which crunched up the other card slab into pieces before exploding into golden sparkles that regenerated Jilen's life points!

 **Jilen: 4000-5000**

"Whoa….Did not see that coming," I thought out loud, "Reminds me of how Reiji duels back in pendulum…."

"But that's not all! I also activate the trap Insurance!" One facedown flipped up, "With this I can return any 1 spell or trap on the field to the hand as I please, and I choose my other facedown!" The facedown flipped up and moved back from the field.

"Why would you return to your hand a card you set?" I asked confused.

"A good question, for which I have an excellent answer!" Jilen boasted as he revealed the slab he returned, "The trap I just reclaimed was called Treasure map! When returned to the hand, I can immediately send it to my graveyard in order to draw an extra 2 cards!" It then vanished from his side and then 2 new slabs appeared in its place!

"That combination gave him a full hand of 6 in my turn!" I gasped in shock.

King Avalon looked upon up high at the royal box seat with a pleased expression, "As expected, Jilen is one of our best warriors, it is no wonder why he has certainly earned the tile of an army leader. With years of battle experience on the field, he will certainly be able to determine this child's true motives for sure in this one match and by every play he makes."

"Father, don't you think sending the captain of the guard as Ryuga's tester is a bit much?" Ikuchi asked concerned for my sake, as she clearly knew first hand what her bodyguard and royal commander was capable of after living under his protection for so long.

"As always you far too soft my dear Ikuchi." a voice said from behind the curtains, coming out of them was royal advisor Enigma, "Only by pushing one to their limits in the heat of battle, only then will their true power and intentions be revealed! If we truly want to see his worth then what better way than through the most challenging test we can give him Surely you must have known about this by now my dear."

"Enigma is right about that Ikuchi." Avalon replied as she turned to him next, "While I do acknowledge the fact he saved you, his true motives are still shrouded in mystery. But what I do know at least, is that a test of monsters and battle will always reveal a person's actual self. If the boy is true to his words then maybe he can prove it to us in the choices he makes in combat."

"Well said my king." Enigma complimented as he took the empty seat on the other side of the box viewing platform.

"Ryuga…." she said to herself nervously, "There's still much I wish to learn about you and your world, so please, win this….." she pleaded.

 **(Duel)**

"Be careful Ryuga, it's clear this one knows exactly what he is doing." Jormagandr warned me from inside my deck while I was still stunned by the sudden move Jilen pulled off in my turn.

"Yeah no kidding," I replied, "He's on a completely different level from those thug we fought in the woods, almost reminds me of Academia's duel warriors….In that case, I better bring my A-game here!" I then placed a hand on my deck and drew! Taking 2 cards from it "I'll start my turn by using scale 1 **Odd eyes Yin Magician** and scale 8 **Odd eyes Yang Magician** to set the pendulum scale!" I laid out a pair of new Odd eyes magicians onto my duel disk as they both rose in pillars of light!

 **Odd eyes Yin magician, Level 3, Spellcaster, Pendulum, DARK, ATK: 1000 DEF: 800 Pendulum Scale: 1**

Yin magician was a young female magician in somewhat similar appearance and clothing to dark magician girl, with slightly shorter magenta coloured hair and wearing clothing in shade of black with a few specks of white. She also wore a necklace with a red pendant at the end of it, while wielding a staff which had a Ying at the end of it. She was also heterochromic, with purple and yellow eyes and wore a witch like hat.

 **Odd eyes Yang magician, Level 4, Spellcaster, Pendulum, Tuner, LIGHT, ATK: 1500 DEF: 1000 Pendulum Scale: 8**

Yang magician was a young male magician similar to dark magician in appearance but wore thicker mage like clothing and a warlock's robe and hat. He had orange and green eyes and had a longer staff which ended with a Yang. His robes were in contrasting colour scheme to Yin magician with more white and small specks of black.

"Is it coming now?" Jilen commented as he observed the pendulum zones and numbers under them.

"Oh?" Enigma said with a raised eyebrow.

"With the current scale I can summon monsters from levels 2-7 simultaneously! Mighty power filled with limitless potential, carve before me the path of hope that shall lead to victory! I pendulum summon! Come forth my loyal monster!" One light shot out, "Appear from the shadows! Odd eyes phantom dragon!" My odd eyes monster appeared on the field and let out a loud growl!

The entire crowd was caught completely by surprise at what just transpired.

"He summoned a level 7 monster without a sacrifice!?"

"Amazing!"

"Father! That's the pendulum summon I told you about!" Ikuchi excitedly pointed out as the king leaned forward with deep interest.

"So this is the ability to call forth multiple monsters at once without any sacrificial requirements….Impressive indeed…." he commented.

Enigma on the other hand simple looked on with an untrusting scowl on his face.

 **(Duel)**

"Time to step into battle! Odd eyes phantom dragon attack Picador fiend! Phantom spiral flame" Odd eyes then fired a purple and black flame stream from its jaws which vaporised the opposing monster in an instant!

BOOM!

Jilen held out his arm and cape to shield himself from the smoke and impact, "Hmm…Not bad."

 **Jilen: 5000-4100**

"It's too soon to relax," I said suddenly, "When odd eyes inflicts battle damage, you also get slammed with damage equal to the attack points of the monsters in my pendulum zones!"

"Wh…what!?" he gasped.

"Both Yin and Yang magician have a total of 2500 attack points, meaning that much is about to get subtracted from your life points! Atomic force!" Both magicians pointed their wands at Odd eyes as they fired an energy charge in a stream of black and white energy beams! Fully charged, odd eyes then fired a beam directly at Jilen and striking him directly with great force!

"AAARRGGHH!" he cried as the beam struck directly at his chest and caused him to fall to his knees!

 **Jilen: 4100-1600**

"My word!" King Avalon gasped in surprise, "Not once have I seen Jilen being brought down to such a weakened position…."

Ikuchi saw this as an opportunity to further improve my impression on him, "See father? Isn't he powerful enough?"

"I must say, this child has plenty of potential…." King Avalon admitted.

"It's too early to be excited sire, surely these must be his standard moves." Enigma replied unconvinced.

"We'll see about that…." she replied displeased with his negative attitude.

 **(Duel)**

"Hahaha! It has been a long while since I have experience such strength and spirit! You definitely deserve praise for accomplish such a near impossible feat!" Jilen laughed as he got back up on his feet. "You can be sure that I'll repay you for that move with my absolute best!"

"Is he….laughing?" I thought to myself before smiling pleased, "Maybe I am starting to reach out to him, and odd eyes is helping to convey our feelings of unity and peace. Now to keep this up." I thought as I took another card from my hand, "Glad you're enjoying yourself Jilen, because I sure am. Now I place one card facedown and end my turn." I concluded as a facedown appeared on my field which further caught the attention of the audience and crowd. There was a mixture of murmurs and whispers with mixed feelings, from excitement to distrust or even fear of either my power or intentions.

"This man is incredible! I've never seen anyone deal so much damage in a single move before, to a royal official nonetheless!"

"I certainly would love to know where he acquired such power."

"How dare he do that to the captain of the guard!"

"Maybe he wasn't mad about being from another world…."

"Is he really here for peace? Or to start a war?"

 **(Duel)**

Ignoring their commentary, I decided to focus on the matter at hand, "So, what do you think so far? Have I earned your trust or proven my worth yet?" I asked facing Jilen and the spectators in the royal box seat which hung above where my opponent stood.

"Enjoying a duel….that's the first time I heard such a statement…." Jilen thought to himself, while he always enjoyed great spirit from potential recruits to the royal guard, to them duels were always meant for power and combat, as well as to be used for either bringing justice or maintaining peace in the kingdom. He never once thought of duelling as a means of genuine happiness and connection like he just felt, and it felt….great.

While the spectators remained silent and observed, the captain then got to his knees and faced me, "I shall admit that was impressive." he said, "However, the duel has merely begun! You have taken a lead but the heat of battle and momentum can change in an instant! And I shall prove it to you now! Draw!" A new card tablet erupted from the ground. "First, I activate my spell known as the warrior returning alive! Which allows me to reclaim the picador fiend that I lost in battle a turn ago!" A dark portal opened in the ground and the tablet featuring the defeated monster rose from it! "Now return to my side picador fiend!" Jilen declared as the fiend rider reappeared on the field from the recovered tablet, "I shall now treat you to a sample of my true power! I play ritual of the matador!" The card tablet flipped forward before glowing and generating the bloody inside like arena on its artwork! "Now by sacrificing the level 6 swordstalker, I can now call forth one of the most powerful ritual monsters you have laid eyes upon!" The dark ghoulish warrior on the tablet vanished before generating a plasma like mould in the arena! "Gladiator of the arena of shadows, with your enticing dance, lure the deadliest of beasts to a painful doom with a single strike! I ritual summon! Rise! Level 6! Matador fiend!" The mould then took form before melting away, revealing the sinister matador monster underneath it!

"A monster with 0 attack and defence points?" I questioned, "Something tells me there's more to him than meets the eye." I then narrowed my eyes seriously.

"A very wise form of thinking child, however, that will be very difficult for you, for I am about to set the stage for your defeat!" Jilen declared as he looked to another tablet, "I activate the field spell Dark arena!" The slate flipped forward onto the ground before sinking into it! A dark mist then began to enshroud the entire field as a huge skull mouth rose and opened from the ground! Jilen and his monsters then slipped deeper into the mouth as they eventually became invisible from sight. The entire crowd began muttering to one another fearfully at what had just transpired.

"Urgh…." I grunted as I tried hard to focus through the fog but couldn't make anything at all! "I can't see a thing, it's even thicker than Yoko's pumpkin soup….."

Above at royal box seat, while Princess Ikuchi and King Avalon looked on with serious expressions without saying a word, Enigma however-

"Oh? Is Jilen going into one of his signature plays already?" he smirked, "This duel will be over quickly."

At the duel, Jilen hid himself within the dark fog generated by the huge arena field. "Fear what you cannot see, but allow me to at least shed some light on your situation." Jilen then said out loud through darkness, "Here in the dark arena, all monsters in attack mode on both sides of the field must attack! However, because they are unable to see, it is up to the opposing player will guide them to their attack targets."

"That….sounds pretty tricky….." I noted, "But you still made 1 mistake! My placing both your monsters in attack mode, your own field spell now forces you to attack my odd eyes phantom dragon!" I pointed out as Odd eyes roared fiercely.

"Did I?" Jilen smirked from inside the dark smoke.

"Huh?"

"Did you really think I wouldn't take into account my own field spell's effect? I am afraid you are the one who is sorely mistaken!" he spoke out to me, "Due to picador fiend's special ability, while dark arena is active, it can attack you directly!"

"No way!" I gasped as the fiend screeched as it leapt out of the mist on top of its bony steed! It then fired a beam from its skull arm which struck me hard in the chest! "AAARRGGHH!" I cried as I fell to my knees at the shock of the intense pain!

 **Ryuga: 4000-2400**

"RYUGA!" Ikuchi gasped in shock before turning to King Avalon, "Father please! Stop this now!" she begged.

"Perhaps you should sire, it's clear he is completely outmatched, perhaps you should call off the duel before things get more….ugly." Enigma smirked in agreement.

"Not just yet, take a closer look." he said telling them to look closer at the arena which they did, what they saw caught them both by surprise.

"Urgh…that was…pretty good…." I grunted as I got back up.

"Why thank you young man, as for you, you are very tenacious. How remarkable." Jilen replied complimenting me, "As for my matador fiend, it's own effect prohibits it from attacking, therefore it has no need to engage in such needless combat while your dragon will be forced to strike when your turn comes."

"Yes, he's still in!" Ikuchi cheered gladly.

"Hmm, perhaps there may be some worth in this one after all…." King Avalon thought rubbing his chin. While Enigma scowled, disgusted with my determination.

 **(Duel)**

"Be very careful Ryuga. It's an entirely different 'ball game' as your friends call it back in standard." Bahamut advised as he observed the situation from inside my deck, while making sure not to appear in front of so many people in the open, because apparently the residents have the ability to see monster spirits.

"I'll try." I replied as I then faced off against the dark mist before me, "I'm not sure what abilities his matador fiend has, but still, there's only one way to find out…." I thought to myself, "I draw!" Looking at it I then smirked, "This should do nicely. Now with the set scale, I pendulum summon!" A single light shot out, "Appear! Spiritual whisper!" The bright blue bird monster with dream catchers for wings appeared in defence mode! "I activate its special ability! When pendulum summoned, from my deck to my hand I can add either a ritual monster or spell! And I choose," A card ejected from my deck as my bird glowed, "Is the ritual spell! Odd eyes advent!" I declared showing it out.

The crowds then gained interest as my words reached the ears of even the spectators in the royal box seat.

"Ritual?"

"How can this be?"

"He possesses the power of ritual monsters in his world as well?" Ikuchi thought to herself.

King Avalon narrowed his eyes as the turn of events intrigued him while Enigma then looked on, "How…interesting…." he commented.

I then took a card from my hand, "Now I activate odd eyes advent! Which allows me to ritual summon any dragon type ritual monster from my hand as long as I tribute the required pendulum monsters! And I choose my level 7 odd eyes phantom dragon as the entire tribute!" An altar with red and blue torches appeared behind me, and odd eyes was absorbed into it! "Dragon with dichromatic eyes, answer the calling of the ancients and awaken from your earthbound slumber to crush our enemies with the force that governs the world! I ritual summon! Arise, from the depths of the earth! Level 7! Odd eyes gravity dragon!" The altar shattered before revealing a large blue and brown dragon with rock like armour rise from the ground and roaring tremendously!

"A pendulum summon into a ritual summon?" Jilen said out loud.

"Incredible!" the king thought to himself at such a flexible and fluid tactic.

"Oh please my king, surely anyone could accomplish that if they had access to such powers as well." Enigma scoffed unimpressed.

"Perhaps, but if what he says is true, then he must come from a world where many others like him exist…." Avalon replied, "Maybe I should consider his offer of allegiance." To which his adviser responded with a look of compete disagreement but kept it to himself.

 **(Duel)**

"My odd eyes has a special ability you should know about." I said as my dragon appeared on the field.

"Is that so?" Jilen said.

"That's right! When summoned, it automatically returns all spells and traps on your side of the field to your hand! Gravity repulsion!" Odd eyes roared as it did a huge stomp on the ground which shook the very arena itself! As everyone held on, trying to keep themselves from flying due to the shockwaves, Jilen's facedowns and field spell vanished and reappeared on his side as card slabs!

"Impressive…." he said to himself as his cards returned to him and the dark mist cleared leaving him and his monsters completely exposed.

I then thought for a moment, "Alright odd eyes gravity dragon! Attack matador fiend with graviton bomb!" As risky as that move was, it could also be a bluff, and if not, at least I'll figure out its powers in the process. Odd eyes then charged up a gravity sphere and fired it straight at Matador fiend!

"A most interesting move, but all too predictable!" Jilin announced to my surprise! "I activate the special ability of my matador fiend! Cursed counter!" The fiendish matador then raised on of its arms as its wing then completely absorbed the attack!

"What!?" I gasped completely off guard, "It completely absorbed my attack!"

"You haven't even seen the half of what my monster is capable of!" It then fired a beam from its head which pierced through Odd eyes gravity dragon, who roared in pain before exploding!

I stood there frozen in complete shock, "B..But how!? Odd eyes was clearly stronger than your monster, so why did it emerge unscathed!?"

Jilen then smirked, "Sorry to disappoint you, but matador fiend can't be destroyed in battle and it take no damage either. However, any monster that it battles is destroyed instead."

"No way…."

"Hmph, it seems I may have jumped to conclusions about you too soon." he scoffed unsatisfied and disappointed, "If you were to falter at a move as simple as this, then you are nothing to us! Give up and leave at once!" He called out pointing at me.

I then glared back at him, "Don't give up on me just yet! I've only just begun I can promise you that." I replied angrily.

"For your sake you better be telling the truth." said Jilen seriously.

"I may ave lost my attacking monster, but at least I still have a solid wall." I said turning to my spiritual whisper still on the field in defence mode, "My Spiritual whisper may not look like much, but thanks to its' special ability, it can't be destroyed in battle once per turn! Even if you summon a new monster my life points will still be well-guarded!" I said, "Hopefully that will be enough, and if not, I'll still have some insurance." I then looked to my facedown card which i set at the very start of the duel.

"You may think that just because you have that bird on your field you are safe from me, but you couldn't be more wrong!" Jilen yelled, "Draw! Now I play my reinforcement of the army spell! Which allows me to add a level 4 or lower warrior type monster to my hand!" A new card slab erupted from the ground, "I'll also reactivate the field spell Dark Arena!" The field sunk back into the ground and regenerated the huge cave mouth and dark fog from within, as Jilen and his side of the field was once again covered by the shadows! "Finally, I summon Banderillero fiend!" A brownish bat like monster appeared form the card slab and screeched. "When normal summoned and at the cost of being unable to attack this turn, my fiend allows me to destroy any monster on the field that I choose! So say goodbye to your last line of defence!" The fiend fired a beam from its jaws which pierced through spiritual whisper before it exploded into golden sparkles!

"Tch!" I sneered, "Even so, I'll still have life points left even when Picador fiend attacks me directly!"

"Assuming I keep my field the way it is." Jilen replied to my dismay, "I activate the spell Pre preparation of rites! With this special spell I can add a ritual spell of my choice and the corresponding ritual monster to my hand!"

"This could be trouble…" I thought anxiously as a pair of card slates erupted from the ground.

"The cards I chose were Garma Sword Oath and Garma sword itself!" Jilen called out loudly, "But they won't stay in my hand for long because I'll be playing them now!" A giant ghostly sword formed as the ritual spell revealed itself! "I sacrifice level 4 picador fiend and level 3 Banderillero fiend in order to fulfil the conditions of Garma sword oath!" Both monsters were sucked right inside the ghostly blade, which then were absorbed into a blue ritual portal! "Warrior of the 6 sinister blades, come forth and serve by my side to end our enemies! I ritual summon! Appear! Level 7! Garma sword!" The sinister 6 armed warrior leapt out of the portal and flashed all 6 sharp blades it wielded!

"2550 attack points…." I said under my breath.

"You fought well, but perhaps I have set my expectations of you too high, so this ends now! Garma sword! Attack him directly with savage slash!" His warrior let out a battle cry before charging at me and flaring its 6 swords!

"Ryuga!" Ikuchi gasped in horror.

"It's all over!" Enigma grinned.

"Not so fast! I play the trap Iron resolve!" A shield then covered me at the incoming attack! "By cutting my life points in half I can stay and fight for one more round!" I announced as I used my own strength to fuel the shield and fend off Garma sword's blades from touching me!

 **Ryuga: 2400-1200**

"Very resourceful!" Jilen gasped unexpectedly, "Perhaps I should take back what I initially said about you. To use your very own points to shield yourself, takes excellent courage and resolve indeed." he praised before adopting a more serious expression, "However, that is not enough! You still have a long way to go before proving to us how determined you are to make the kingdom of Norvagen, no, the 'ritual dimension' your allies! If you truly desire such an outcome, show me your true strength that made the princess take a shine to you!"

"Tch!" I grit my teeth in frustration, "He's really forcing my hand, if I unleash all my power at once, will the people here take it alright?"

"Before I end my turn and give you one last chance to prove your worth, I place one facedown." The card slate fell forward. "Come! Show us your resolve!"

I could tell he really wanted me to give it my all, but if I do that would the people here still accept my presence? Would he be able to take it as well? Beads of sweat began to form around my forehead as I could feel the immense pressure building up on me and the decision I had to make. I was watched by many faces of the ritual dimension and so far it seemed I lost their recognition after my mistake earlier, I barely managed to hold on and now my entire hand was empty.

"If it has come to this Ryuga," Bahamut said to me suddenly which caught my attention. "Let us help you!" I turned to my duel disk as it suddenly glowed and transported my soul inside. I then found myself before my 4 dragons, as well as the silhouettes of my other selves, Nushi, Yamata and Jin!

"You aren't really going to let something as insignificant as this hold you back right? Even if they take it the wrong way? So what? Its better than not trying at all!"

"We shall prove to everyone that the 4 dimensions are nothing to fear Ryuga."

"Believe in yourself and us!"

"We may not be at Maiami City anymore, but I'm certain the spirits of all our allies live on in us even now! Feel them, and together our bond will reach everyone's hearts just like all others before!"

(They were right, in fact, just like a pro duelist who is fighting far from home, he may seem alone but he'll always carry the hearts and wishes of all those before him, and that is what gives him the strength to face any and all overwhelming opposition even when he has no one physically present. Yusho and Yuya experienced this before, so this isn't all that different….Maybe I was worried for nothing after all….)

"You guys…." I said feeling touched as their hopes and belief in me hadn't wavered, which gave me the strength to get back up again! "You're right! What have I got to lose? With you on my side, there's nothing that can stand in our way! We'll show them our power and prove ourselves worthy of their trust and allegiance! Come on! We have a duel to finish and test to pass! So let's not let anyone down!" I responded before they smiled gladly, apparently getting just the reaction they wanted out of me. They then returned me back to the duel and I turned to face Jilen once more, this time brimming with confidence,

"Alright Jilen, you wanted my best and you've got it! No more holding back from here on!" I called out to his surprise at my sudden change, "Hope you're prepared because here I come! Draw!" I drew.

(To be able to pick himself up in such a short span of time…..Could he possibly possess a connection with the spirits as well?) "Yes, come and show us all." Jilen thought to himself as he noticed the change in my eyes, now filled with a sense of clarity and no longer troubled. "And to add an extra hurdle to the challenge, I activate the continuos trap, Trick Battle!" The facedown flipped up, "You may have forced me to withdraw using it earlier, but now that it's finally active, whenever monsters in attack mode battle each other, the stronger one will automatically be destroyed at the start of the damage step!"

"So that's what he was planning earlier…." I thought seriously, "This isn't going to be easy." Everyone then looked on intently at my next move and waited what I would do next. Taking the card I just drew, (Something the souls inside me and my deck answered with) "I activate card of demise! It lets me draw till I hold 5 cards! Then in 5 turns, I discard my entire hand!" I said out loud.

"So you plan on betting it all on this final draw? Very well, let's see what you've got and whom the goddess of victory will smile upon!" Jilen said with a smirk.

"I'll make sure that it'll be me in this duel! It's now or never and I draw!" I grabbed 5 cards from my deck and drew. I then smirked seeing they could be just I need to prove my strength to the kingdom of Norvagen here and now. "First, I activate the spell mystical space typhoon! Which lets me destroy one spell or trap on the field! And I choose trick battle!" A powerful cosmic wind blew from the spell which shattered the card slab to pieces!

"Urgh!" Jilen grunted annoyed seeing his defence shattered.

"Now with that gone, I pendulum summon once more!" 1 light shot out from the portal, "Revive! Odd eyes phantom dragon!" My dragon reappeared on the field with a loud roar to everyone's amazement.

"How did you do that!? You just sacrificed that monster using that ritual spell!" Jilen gasped in shock.

"You're right I did but, pendulum monsters go the extra deck instead of the graveyard! And as long as I possess the right scale, I can revive them from the extra deck over and over again!" I replied.

"Impossible!" everyone thought I was mad but I spoke the truth.

"Such a power really exists!?" Avalon gasped in disbelief.

"I told you father, hopefully now you can see exactly what I mean." Ikuhfci thought as she noticed her father's amazement.

Enigma however then grit his teeth in frustration, "Tch! This child may be even more troublesome than I first imagined…." he thought to himself seeing that the tide of battle was beginning to turn in my favour.

 **(Duel)**

I took another card from my hand, "Since I control 2 magician pendulum monsters in my pendulum zones, from my hand I am allowed to special summon the tuner monster, odd eyes observer magician!" The old sage appeared onto the field next to my dragon, "When summoned this way, it'll banish itself when it leaves the field!"

"A tuner monster?" Jilen asked puzzled, "What's that?"

"Allow me to teach you something now, by having at least 2 monsters on the field including a tuner, I can use them in order to synchro summon a synchro monster from my extra deck who's levels equal their combined total!" I said, "But rather than explain, how about I show you! I tune level 1 Odd eyes observer magician to level 7 odd eyes phantom dragon!" The old sage changed into a single ring for odd eyes to leap through! "Guided by the winds and the wisdom of the ancients, spread your wondrous wings and lead the world into the bright future! I synchro summon! Appear! Level 8! Fafnir! Ascending Wyvern of the Gales!" Fafnir appeared from the light in incredible beauty and grace as she descended from the sky! The entire audience became captivated by her appearance and descent to the coliseum ground.

"I don't believe it!"

"Wow that's beautiful!"

"That's a magnificent monster, it's unfortunate that it will have to perish at my blade very soon." said Jilen admmittingly as even he was enticed by her grace and charm.

"I wouldn't count on that Jilen!" I interrupted to his surprise, "Because to back her up, I'm going to activate polymerisation! By sending the required monsters, in this case, the vice dragon and rare metal dragon that are in my hand, I can combine them together in a fusion summon!" The fusion spell appeared which generated a fusion portal as both dragons rose into the air from my hand and fused as purple and yellow orbs!

"A fusion summon!?" the captain cried alarmed at a second new summon in a row!

"Fallen dragons of a bygone age, merge your dark powers together and call forth the queen of shadows! I fusion summon! Appear! Claws of the dragon overlord! Level 8! Tiamat! Infernal Hydra of the Apocalypse!" A dark portal opened up in the ground as 2 pairs of red eyes flashed from it! "Prepare to meet the true terror of the shadows!" Tiamat then rose form the portal and shrieked as her presence sent a chill down the spines of the spectators!

"What a monstrosity!"

"We should run!"

"Oh dear, it seems we're beginning to insight the wrong feelings in the crowds…." Fafnir stated as she and Tiamat looked around unsettled, seeing many of them slowly getting gripped by fear.

"Perhaps we can change their minds with a little performance from back home." I suggested to which both sister dragons nodded in agreement. "Fafnir! Illuminate this dark landscape and everyone's troubled hearts with Reflecting glory!" Fafnir nodded and then took to the air and narrowed her eyes, immediately spotting Matador fiend from within the fog! "Time to shed some light on the situation!" She said to herself as her scales began to shine brightly which made everyone watching the duel feel ore peaceful and uneasy, as their troubles had began to melt away like the darkness! Fafnir then folded her wings and concentrated her light at the intended monster who covered his faced with his cloak cloak, to no avail as his colour became much more dull!

"Wh…what's happening!?" Jilen gasped as he saw his monster become weaker.

"Once per turn, Fafnir's special ability allows me to negate and steal the effects of any monster I choose! Now Matador fiend's special ability is no more!" I answered.

"Impossible!" Jilen gasped in shock, "If it gets attacked by either of those dragons…."

"You're done! Tiamat!" I said turning to her, "You may have the honour of wrapping things up here." I said seeing she deserved her moment in the spotlight now.

She grinned, while Fafnir frowned slightly feeling jealous. "It will be my pleasure!" She then opened her jaws and began to charge her black and purple flames!

"Not yet! Due to dark arena's effect I now choose my noble Garma Sword as the target of your beast! Face her!" Jilen commanded as his warrior emerged from the dark smoke and charged at my hydra!

"Trying to reduce the damage won't help you this time Jilen! I'm ending this now!" I said.

"Surely you jest." he replied unconvinced.

"How about I show you? I activate Tiamat's special ability! Go Insidious sting!" Tiamat then grinned as she had waited for this, as she then drove her tail right into her own shadow and as Garma Sword charged forward, the sting end struck out from its own shadow and into its' chest! Causing it to scream in pain as her venom began to infect it! To Jilin's horror, the venom began to course through his warrior's entire body, leaving a dark curse and spreading of pain!

 **2550-0**

"When Tiamat battles a special summoned monster, once per turn, she can reduce that monster's attack points to 0!" I called out to the entire crowd's amazement!

"What!? NO!" Jilen gasped with his eyes widened as Tiamat brought her victim in closer!

"You wanted me to hold nothing back, you got it! Tiamat! Attack with Apocalypse eraser!" I called out, and she smiled in agreement. She then opened her jaws wide and fired at the helpless warrior at point blank range, causing it to explode and blow Jilen back in the process!

"AAAAARRRGGGHHH!"

 **Jilen: 2400-0**

 **Ryuga: WIN!**

As Jilen tumbled across the ground before coming to a complete stop near the wall of the arena, the field, platforms and monsters soon vanished altogether.

"He did it he won!" Ikuchi cheered with her face brimming with joy.

"Incredible….Absolutely incredible….Never in all my years have I seen Jilen lost before." Avalon said under his breath, never before had his finest warrior been bested in a duel before, today may be the most momentous occasion in their long regal history, "This child…who knows what else he may hold in store for the rest of us in Norvagen…."

Enigma then stood up and began to leave the seating area, "I've seen enough of this his abilities." he thought to himself seriously as he excused himself.

Everyone else in the audience was completely speechless at what had just took place. An unknown outsider, defeated the captain of the guard? I looked around seeing they had faces of worry or uncertainty, but then headed to where Jilen was as he was still lying on the ground, "Hey, are you okay?" I asked concerned as I came up to where he lay. He then looked up at me with a somewhat serious expression before suddenly smiling and breaking out not laughter!

"Hahaha! Well done young man, you have most certainly surpassed my expectations." he praised to my surprise.

"Th…thank you?" I was surprised he didn't mind getting blasted across the field earlier, but I suppose as a royal knight, what matters more than victory is an honourable battle, and his eyes, that was what he saw in me. I then offered my hand to help and he graciously accepted as I pulled him to his legs, "Are you okay though? It seemed as though that last attack really hurt just now." I asked him.

He smiled, "Your concern is appreciated but unnecessary! Despite completely overwhelming me in that finishing turn, I think I finally understand why the princess looks up to you so much for saving her, and for that, you have earned my respect and complete trust." He then held out his hand to which I gasped in surprise, "It was an honour to face you in battle, and once again I thank you for your efforts in defeating me and saving my lady Ikuchi." he said.

I then gladly shook back as the crowds applauded and praised, seeing the captain open his trust to me meant they had nothing to fear. "The honour is all mine. I'm glad we were able to make a connection and gain an understanding." I replied back.

We then heard approaching footsteps so we both turned to see the king's advisor, Enigma I believe, to be standing before us. "I can't say I'm not….impressed by your victory child. I figured you might be filled with surprises but even I never expected a comeback as swift and powerful as the one you somehow managed to pull off just now." he said apparently complimenting me in a way, "I've seen enough, it's become clear to me now…." he then opened his eyes suddenly and pointed out at me! "You are a scout for an invading army!"

"What!?" I gasped in alarm as the entire crowd followed.

Even Jilen, whose heart I touched, was caught completely by surprise by his superior's sudden outburst and accusation! "You….you can't be serious Lord Enigma!"

"I haven't been anymore serious in my life and in all my years of service to the riyal family Jilen! Stand down now!" he yelled back which caused the captain to grit his teeth in frustration as his vow had compelled him to yield, "You have won nothing outsider! Your fate is still sealed! Guards! Apprehend him at once!" he commanded as a troupe of soldiers (Blade knights) rushed out with their swords held out!

"Tch! I don't believe this…." I grunted, "I really didn't want to resort to using force to escape, but if it's come to this…." I planned to summon Bahamut in order to get me out, but before I could get my hand on his card-

"Stop this at once Enigma!" A voice shouted which caused the soldiers to freeze in their tracks. We then turned around to see Princess Ikuchi and King Avalon walking towards us. "I won't allow you to continuing as you please! You've gone too far!" she yelled furiously.

Her father then held out a hand to her, stopping her from saying anymore than necessary, "That's enough Ikuchi, allow me to talk to him." he said to which she relented begrudgingly, apparently wanting to give Enigma much more of a mouthful. He then turned to his advisor seriously, "Remember your place Enigma, no one passes on judgement of others in the kingdom without going through me first. You are fortune that if it weren't for all your years of loyal service until now, I would immediately have you imprisoned for stepping out of line for this outrageous act."

"My king! I am simply taking the necessary precautions into my own hands. You have seen what he is capable by now!" Enigma yelled frantically, "Clearly this boy must be some sort of spy! You've seen the powerful beasts he commands, he may as well be spearheading an entire army of warriors who may be just as or even more powerful! We must eliminate him at once before there's any chance of them plotting an invasion!"

"That's not true! I swear it!" I cried out. I couldn't believe what I just heard, it was almost like Academia all over again, and the last thing I'd want to do is start another dimensional war…..

"Enigma…." Avalon sighed over his advisor's concern.

He then felt a tug at his royal cloak as he looked down, "Father please don't go through with this!" Ikuchi begged.

Enigma scoffed, "This doesn't concern you princess, but it does concern the safety of Norvagen's people! So I say-"

"Your majesty! If I may speak!" Jilen interrupted as he stepped in between them as I looked back in surprise to see another person stand up for me. "Heed my words. After duelling with Ryuga here, I have seen his ways and duelling style, it is purer than any form I have witnessed in the entire kingdom, no the world! Such a man could never harbour such malicious intentions. Therefore in recognition of his courage and sincerity, I shall be giving my full support to him!" he said confidently.

"Father please give him a chance, I believe in him. If you harm him you'll be making a terrible mistake." Ikuchi pleaded while looking to her father in the eyes.

Looking in between them, I had never felt as pressured as I was right now as drops of sweat and intensity began to form around my face. Basically what happens now determines my fate, and as much as I wanted to say something, I feel this is something I shouldn't speak up in. Guess it all comes down to King Avalon's final judgement…..

The tension thickened as the atmosphere became much more serious as the entire gathering of people looked on awaiting their majesty's declaration. "Your majesty? We are awaiting your decision." Enigma asked politely with a light smile expecting the king to make the right decision, which came from himself.

Looking at the people gathered before him, King Avalon pondered for a while in deep thought before opening his eyes, "I have made my choice." Which caught everyone's ears as he turned to me, "Ryuga, I commend you for your efforts in defeating my greatest warrior. You have displayed not only exceptional skill but also a deep connection of the monsters that you possess. You have passed the test of trust."

"Awesome!" I cheered.

"Ummm…excuse me?" he said confused, "What was it you just said?"

"Oh sorry," I replied, "From where I come from, it means…that's great to hear."

He then nodded understandably, "My daughter has spoken the truth when she said you were a person worthy of my respect, however, despite acknowledging the potential I see in you, I'm afraid I must humbly decline your offer of allegiance."

We couldn't believe our ears, even after all that he still wouldn't accept our offer!? "Father?!" Ikuchi gasped.

"Huh!?"

Enigma however, smirked deviously apparently seeing it as the natural outcome. "Heh."

"But….why would you refuse? There's so much we can learn or benefit from each other, wouldn't you want that for your people?" I asked.

"While I am indeed impressed by your incredible performance in the arena, it's as you said, there is still so much I need to know about both you and your…world as you call it, before I am to make a decision that would affect the wellbeing of not only my kingdom but the entire 'ritual dimension' as you call it. So until then, I must refrain from establishing any kind of connection or truce with foreign matters, for the safety of my people for the time being. I hope you can find it in your heart to understand." he replied respectfully.

"I….understand sir…." I replied feeling disappointed having failed my objective in coming here in the first place.

"Therefore, in order for us to better learn from each other and for me to confirm that my faith in you is genuine, I have decided to allow you to stay here in the kingdom of Norvagen over the course of the next few days! That should be more than enough time for us all to get better acquainted won't it?"

Enigma's eyes widened in shock while ours were with joy, "What!?"

"What better way for you to learn about our customs and for us to know more about you than for you to live amongst the palace grounds. I hope you would teach us many things so we may know much more about your world and maybe in the future we can all live together in harmony." he replied gladly as everyone who was watching us applauded in joyous momentum.

"Th…thank you father!" Ikuchi said happily and relieved.

"Your majesty, your hospitality and benevolence is second to none." Jilen bowed.

"I accept your hospitality your majesty, thank you." I replied, maybe there is hope for us yet….

"My liege you can't be serious!" Enigma cried in bewilderment.

"I'm afraid I am Enigma." Avalon replied seriously, "This is my choice and it is final. Ryuga shall remain here to learn about our customs as long as he needs to, and when he has proven himself worthy of my trust I shall consider joining hands with his 'dimension'."

"My king! Please reconsider your decision! You could be inviting a dangerous enemy into your sanctum!" his royal advisor continued defiantly, "You're making a huge mistake!"

"Silence Enigma!" Avalon yelled impatiently causing his advisor to quiet down. "I have seen what he is capable of and the potential it can bring us should we allow ourselves to unite with the world he speaks of. End of discussion."

"Tch! As you wish….." he scowled before taking his leave begrudgingly, "This is far from over…." he muttered under his breath as he eyed me.

"Sire," Jilen spoke out as he approached us, "Allow me to be put in charge of this man's wellbeing my liege. I will take full responsibility of him, you can be sure of that." (Wow, goes our duel must have impacted him well. Maybe in the long run I could have Yuya and the gang come over to give everyone here a performance they'll never forget.)

"Very well Jilen. I shall entrust our horned guest into your capable hands." Avalon replied in agreement.

"Thank you my liege, I swear you will not be disappointed." Jilen bowed respectfully.

After acknowledging him, the elderly king then turned to me, "Come Ryuga, you shall be rewarded most generously for your efforts that you have displayed today. I shall have a feast worthy of your victory ready at the castle soon enough!" he proclaimed excitedly.

"Thank you for your generosity your majesty. It's very much appreciated." I replied respectfully as he had an escort of guards bring us to the castle wth Ikuchi deciding to walk next to me while I didn't quite notice.

"A feast!? That sounds lovely!" Tiamat said out loud to herself excitedly.

"Hush Tiamat! They'll hear you!" Fafnir growled to her!

The hydra then hissed grudgingly, "Sorry…..But you can't blame me for getting all thrilled thought right? It's been a while since we got the genuine respect we solely deserved."

"Just….behave yourself." Fafnir sighed apparently giving up on having to discipline her sister.

Ignoring their bickering I then whispered to them, "Well guys, looks like we're going to be stuck here much longer than we first thought." Looking around I noticed the crowds cheering and applauding with smiles of excitement, and seeing their smiles made things a little bit more bearable, "But, at least things are starting to look up for us."

As we passed out of the arena and through the main gate, Ikuchi then smiled to herself, "I'm glad everything worked out." Ikuchi said to herself quietly feeling relieved and glad that it had all gone like how she had hoped, that I was not only spared but also staying in the kingdom.

"You said something Princ- I mean Ikuchi?" I asked overhearing her which made her stutter slightly.

She then shook her head and gave me a light smile in response, "I…it's nothing…Just glad that you'll be staying here longer." she giggled as we went inside the palace grounds.

"Yeah, I'm glad too." I replied, "Maybe us staying here and learning the customs of the ritual dimension won't be such a bad idea after all." (And hopefully, we'll be able to find a way back home down the road)

 **Yin and Yang magician here were supposed to be in a triple with dualism magician (Like odd eyes mirage and persona with phantom, and stargazer and time gazer with odd eyes pendulum dragon) This chapter took really long and I hope the dialogue was good too. Stay tuned for Ryuga's many other adventures in ritual and how his journey to return home continues.**

 **How are you finding the sequel so far? Hope to get feedback on it so far and on the dialogue, feel free to send me your thoughts and opinions so maybe I can do it better next time.**

Odd eyes Yang magician

Pendulum Effect

You must control no monsters to activate this card. If a Pendulum Monster you control battles, your opponent cannot activate Trap Cards until the end of the Damage Step. Unless you have a "Magician" card or "Odd-Eyes" card in your other Pendulum Zone, this card's Pendulum Scale becomes 4.

Monster Effect

Each turn, the first card(s) in your Pendulum Zone that would be destroyed by an opponent's card effect, is not destroyed.

Odd eyes Yin Magician

Pendulum Effect

If a Pendulum Monster you control battles, your opponent cannot activate Spell Cards until the end of the Damage Step. Unless you have a "Magician" card or "Odd-Eyes" card in your other Pendulum Zone, this card's Pendulum Scale becomes 4.

Monster Effect

Each turn, the first Pendulum Monster(s) you control that would be destroyed by an opponent's card effect, is not destroyed.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

 **(Standard dimension)**

Back at LEO corp's control room, Reiji and his operatives continued to work tirelessly for almost an entire day straight without any rest since the incident. To him, his own personal health was the least of his concerns, what mattered at almost any cost, was to get me back from whatever world or space I had been sent to. He then turned to his workers, "What is taking so long? We should have acquired at least a signal from Ryuga's duel disk, now that all the equipment has been repaired." he asked.

"Forgive us sir," A man replied, "I'm afraid this is the best we can manage. Without a stronger energy source to supply more power to the dimensional scanners and drones, we are still walking blind and in the dark." He said as the scans weren't picking up any traces from the chip they installed in my disk before I left.

Reiji then narrowed his eyes before pushing up his glasses in deep thought, before pressing another button on his remote, "How soon will the new generator arrive Nakajima?" He asked facing a monitor screen with his assistant on it, who was currently in the fusion dimension supervising their operations there.

"Things are proceeding as expected sir." he replied politely, "At the current rate of progression the generator should be completed and running at both full efficiency and maximum safety standards in about a week or so."

"That's still unacceptable!" Reiji yelled in frustration, "With each passing moment we waste, Ryuga stays trapped in another world with no way of returning home! Who knows what kind of pain or dangers he may be experiencing until then or even this very moment! Put them on round the clock shifts if you must, I want the new power system installed and all repairs completed at LEO corp immediately."

"Understood sir, I will send an urgent request to the science department of Academia for them to hasten their work. I will get back to you as soon as I can." Nakajima replied calmly as his screen turned blank.

Reiji then flipped back to the site of dimensional vortex which had now vanished, yet traces of its presence still remained. Normally he was calm and collected, never letting his emotions get the better of him and his judgement, but this time was very different. "Ryuga…..I swear, even if it costs us every resource at LEO Corporation or even the 4 dimensions, we'll get you back home."

 **(Meanwhile in the ritual dimension)**

"YUM! This really hits the spot!" I cried out as I guzzled down on a really delicious bowl of Mooyan curry! And that was just the appetiser, arriving out of the dining hall on a series of stretchers (Pushed by royal cooks) along a red carpet were a number of dishes covered underneath metallic food covers. The royal banquet hall I was in was coloured deep blue (Walls and floor tiles) with a number of colored paned windows which looked on to the outside. It gave off a very medieval kind of feel to it, and a long rectangular table was laid out along the centre of the room with a number of chair laid out around its entire perimeter. Once again there were flags and banners laid out in parts of the room holding the very same Norvagne crest I saw.

"Is the food to your liking Ryuga?" King Avalon asked as he sat at the king seat (Which was larger and had a cushion seat) at the opposite end of the table from where I sat.

"I am deeply honoured by your kindness your majesty." I said making sure to be on my best behaviour and banners, cos no way I act unrestrained like how I would be at Yuya's house in here, especially not in the king's presence. "Not to sound rude or anything though, but don't you think this is a little too much."

"Nonsense!" Avalon laughed humorously, "For displaying true courage and admirable skill in battle, not to mention seizing victory from my greatest warrior, you have earned a victory feast most fitting of this accomplishment! Dig in to your heart's desire! I insist!" as he finished he turned to his chefs who nodded as they lifted up the covers revealing a number of illustrious dishes underneath! There was a roasted terracing salmon dipped in various sauces, a stew cooked in a mystic wok, a roasted sonic duck spiced with various spices (Used in GX by Satyr ep 63), some grilled mad lobster topped with creamy melted cheese and for dessert, doom donuts stuffed with custard! (Which I had to admit was the least appetising of the many dishes given before me)

I then sweat dropped."Well, it'd be rude to refuse a gift. Okay then, time to dig in!" I cheered as a big grin appeared across my face as I began to eat my fill to my heart's content! It was delicious indeed, using the finest quality ingredients and cooked with expert precision and skill! (Despite using actual monsters as ingredients which I felt slightly regretful for) I didn't want to admit it, but all this would even give Yoko a run for her money in the cooking department!

From inside my deck, Tiamat looked at me helping myself to all that delicious food through a mirror portal and let's just say she was rather….jealous, "Grrr, why do you get to have the spoils of victory all to yourself Ryuga!? We helped out just as much so you should let us in on that luxurious lunch!" she snarled while her jaws watered with deadly saliva.

"Hush Tiamat, we all know you just want to indulge yourself in the banquet." Jormangandr sighed as he walked up to her from behind without her noticing, "Come, Bahamut has been kind enough to prepare lunch for the rest of us. Maybe that will suffice." he said coaxing her to come around.

"Hmph!" she hissed begrudgingly before following him.

After finishing lunch and having the servants take away the leftovers and dishes, King Avalon then turned to me for a serious conversation, "Now that lunch is out of the way we can return to the matter at hand."

"What matter?" I asked.

"As I said before I am curious to know more about you and the…world you came from young Ryuga." he replied, "So tell me, what is it like in this world of yours? Is a kingdom just as prosperous as Norvagen? Do you all command monsters as effectively as we do? With skills as admirable as yours, surely you must be quite the powerful figure form where you come from. Maybe even a ruler like myself?"

"Errrr…Not quite…." I sweat dropped while scratching my head.

"Hmm?"

"To be truthful king Avalon, while I am very skilled in duelling, from where I come from, there are many other people who are almost or even equally adept as I am!" I said, "In fact, almost every person on my world possesses duel disks and cards like me. In other words, I'm basically like everyone else from where I come from!" I said while showing him my duel disk and deck.

"What? There are…..many more with powers like yours!? Even though you've already command the powers of so many different summoning forms….." he gasped in amazement.

"Yeah. Not only that, but instead of keeping the souls of monsters in tablets like your people do, we keep them in the form of duel monster cards." I said taking out my deck and showing them to him, "And it isn't just monsters, the same is also said for spells and traps too."

"Amazing, to think that mere paper and ink can contain the powers of magic." he said out loud in awe at the possibilities that my world can present.

"Ehehe…actually it's science not magic, at least where I come from." I replied, "In fact, it's science that allowed me to come here to this world in the first place and allowed us to duel. In fact, it's basically become something like a sport or even a game from where we live."

"This is the power of your….science?" Avalon raised an eyebrow in curiosity. In his world the best feats of science was either studying ancient history of their world or of biological life, not once had he imagined it being able to accomplish such marvels before him now. "To think nearly everyone in your world has access to such great power, whereas in our kingdom only a select few are able to prove themselves worthy to wired a diadhank and command the monsters from inside the stone tablets. Hmmm, perhaps there may be some merit and logic to ally Norvagen with your people." he thought to himself as he brushed his beard with his hand while thinking carefully.

"You don't need to jump to any decisions just yet your majesty, at least think about it." I replied considerately.

"Very well then, I shall take you up on your words." he replied with a nod.

As he finished speaking a woman came into the dining hall and started walking towards him. Apparently she was an Elemental Mistress Doriado, "Another human monster who walks freely in the world….." I thought to myself intrigued once more by ritual dimension's special nature. She then bowed respectfully before the king before coming towards him.

"My king, you have visitors awaiting to speak with you." she said, "It's about…." She then leaned in to his ear after looking at me, which I assumed were matters that I shouldn't be involved in.

 **Whisper Whisper**

He then narrowed his eyes before nodding in acknowledgment, "Very well Doriado, tell them I shall be with them momentarily. In the meantime, I place Ryuga's wellbeing in your capable hands."

"As you wish sir." she replied with a respectful bow as her king stood up and prepared to leave the dining hall.

"Is something wrong your majesty?" I asked curiously seeing him exiting the room in such a serious and suspicious manner.

He shook his head in response, "Nothing significant, just the usual duty of addressing the needs of my subjects." he replied casually, "In the meantime, Doriado, our top servant here, will show you to the room you will be staying in in your time here." he said turning to her as she bowed.

"I see…." I replied deciding not to ask any further questions. With that out of the way King Avalon took his leave from the premises and left me in Dorado's care

"Come, I will show you to your quarters young master." she replied with a polite bow and tone while I followed her.

"Young master…." I then smirked, "Hehe, I can get used to this kind of royal treatment." I said with a grin on my face.

Meanwhile King Avalon was walking along the hallway to the discussion room with his advisors and his concerned subjects, when he heard the constant pattering of footsteps. He then turned around and noticed his daughter coming towards him from the end of the hallway, "Ikuchi? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in your room like I told you so?" he questioned rather surprised at her unexpected appearance.

"I was father, but I came out on my own because I want to talk to Ryuga some more and get to know him better." She asked eagerly before looking around to see if I was there, "Would please tell me where he is now? I'd really like to have a word with him, there's so much I wish to know from his world and what it's like as well!" she asked quite excitedly, for the first time in a long while.

Nothing this, Avalon then narrowed his eyes in displeasure and shook his head disapprovingly, "No Ikuchi, you are to return to and remain in your quarters for the rest of the day. I forbid you to have any sort of interaction with him while he stays here." he said while turning around to his daughter's sheer shock and crushing of hopes.

"But father! I just want to speak with him!" she cried, "What wrong is there in a simple conversation?!"

Avalon hen closed his eyes and shook his head disapprovingly, "Do you honestly not see it dear daughter? It's bad enough your kidnapping has caused uproar in Norvagen's entirety, but now I have issues to address regarding some of our citizens' fears and worries about our….special guest from another world." He said before turning to her firmly, "Do not forget! You are the future heir to my throne one day, to rule over not just our people but to maintain complete control and order over the savage beasts that run wild in our world! I will never allow you to associate yourself with Ryuga, he will no doubt fill your heads with needless distractions and ridiculous ideas that monsters without even the slightest inch of rudimentary intelligence can ever be considered equals to us!"

"Father! How could you possibly say that!?" she cried bewildered at his outburst and discredit towards Norvagen's monsters.

"I merely need confirmation of Ryuga's trustworthiness as an ambassador for a needed ally and nothing more, I hold no delusions of having his influence defile anything in our pure and noble Norvagen." he said revealing his intentions of only seeing me and my pendulum dimension as needed allies to gain even more control over the ritual dimension's monsters, "Until I am certain of this, I can't have you doing as you please without any precaution or self awareness of your own position! In fact because of your recent abduction, you are to be guarded 24 hours a day from now on and are never to leave the palace grounds on any circumstance!"

"But Father! You can't do this!"

"Oh yes I can, and I will! Guards!" He yelled as a pair of blade knights walked out from the corridors towards him, "I don't want to hear another word from her, make sure she doesn't step out of her room unless I allow it."

"As you command your highness." they said bowing down before turning their attention towards the princess who could only stand paralysed in shock.

Ikuchi then took a few steps back in disbelief at her father's intentions, "Y..You wouldn't dare…."

"Yes we would, now come with us this instant." they said firmly as they took hold of her. She then struggled to wrestle herself out of their iron grip but to no avail!

"Unhand me at once!" she yelled angrily as she continued to thrash vigorously out of their grasp.

"Forgive us princess, but we have our orders." One knight said somewhat feeling regretful about his actions, while the other turned to their king, "Your highness, we shall take her to her chambers while you can settle all diplomatic matters with the people with ease."

The king then nodded firmly before turning around, but not before hearing a few parting words from his ever defiant daughter, "You can't keep me sheltered and shackled here in the palace forever father! One day I'll make you open your eyes and fix the huge mistakes you've made to the kingdom!" she cried as she was taken away by the guards while her father walked away without any difficulties.

A little while later, the guards brought Ikuchi to a room with a special looking door, which was larger and more shiny to signify importance, "Here you are princess. Now stay in and behave like your father tells you!" The guards said as they brought her to her room (Which resembled a 16th century castle bed room which had a well made bed with luxurious silk curtains made from petit moths and plenty of dazzling royal furniture, like a dressing table and mirror, and closet with other gowns and dresses) before opening the door and pushing her inside, before closing it back and locking it instantly!

CLICK!

Immediately she charged at the door and hammered her fists at it, "Let me out now! I demand it! Urgh!" Ikuchi grunted as she pushed hard against the door and found the handle wouldn't turn. She then took a step back and took in a few breaths to recuperate, "Huff…Right….as if this room has ever stopped me before." she thought to herself as she then turned to the back of the room. She pushed aside her dressing table and found a trapdoor underneath which she opened and revealed a hidden stairway leading to a secret passage outside, "Last place my father would expect to find an emergency escape. Now to pay a certain someone a little surprise visit…."

Meanwhile, I was given a much more pleasant and welcoming escort by Elemental Mistress Doriado. After climbing up a flight of stairs and taking somewhat of a long walk to the end of a hallway I then found myself at an attractive looking door, "Here we are Ryuga, this is the guest room that our King has chosen for you. I hope you enjoy our hospitality." She then inserted a key into the door's lock and then opened it.

As the door fully opened I couldn't help but widen my eyes and having my jaw drop in complete amazement. In front of me sat a deluxe bed with hand sown curtains which resembled flowing waves of water and a dark blue blanket. The floor was covered by a smooth light blue carpet and there was also a pair of thick cushioned arm chairs which looked really comfortable, as you could practically sink into them after sitting! A nearby desk held a valuable looking vase with an Amylease in it and next to it was an old fashioned lamp with a candle on it. The ceiling had an impressive chandelier encrusted with jewels in it hanging in the center of the room and a portrait depicting a sea serpent surging through the waves hung right to the front of the bed next to an open window! "Now this is royalty!" I cried in pure excitement which couldn't be contained, as if my own mindset had reverted to that of a 5 year old child and I had no words to express how I felt!

"I trust that this is to your liking young sir?" Doriado asked.

"Definitely! And… this is all mine!?" I exclaimed excitedly. She then nodded with a light smile, "Sweet!" I then kicked off my shoes before jumping and bouncing on the bed face flat! It was perfect in everyday, not to mention the blanket was quite warm and fluffy, making it perfect for the cold breeze blowing in from outside the open window. Before I could enjoy the experience more, I suddenly heard the door shut and followed by a click sound.

CLICK!

I then raised an eyebrow with suspicion before getting off and heading to the front door, when I tired to turn the knob I found it was stuck! "H..Hey! Why did you lock the door!?" I cried alarmed.

"Forgive me Lord Ryuga, but as of now the king is in a very important meeting with some…powerful nobles who are concerned with the recent developments that transpired today. He believes it is for your own….well-being that you remain here in your quarters until the meeting has passed." Doriado replied at the other hand before taking her leave down the hallway.

I then lowered my head and sighed, "Sigh….Great, guess I'm stuck here just like back at the Friendship cup in synchro…." I grumbled as I sat on the soft bed with folded arms already taking back my initial excitement now seeing it to be premature. "So much for earning his favour like he said to me….."

"Apparently Avalon still may hold some insecurity about letting you roam freely within his own home." Tiamat said as she and the others appeared in my room before me, "Chances are he'll be keeping you under tabs 24/7 while we remain under his roof and watchful eye."

"I presume he may still have a few worries after seeing the powers we possess and your abilities back at the arena." Jormangnadr added, "I don't blame him though, it's merely a natural act of caution."

I nodded in acknowledgement, "Sigh…already I miss everyone else back home." I said feeling somewhat lonely and depressed about not being in contact with my closest friends for what seems like weeks even though it was still just a day, afternoon to be precise. "Hope they're all doing fine as well and hopefully Reiji can find some way to get us back home. Last thing I want is for us to be stuck here in the dimension of middle ages for the rest of our lives and to miss out on all the fun and exciting action duels and fields from back home." Yuya, Yuzu, Gongengzaka, Shun, Kaito….even Sawatari….What if I never see them again? The very thoughts began to flood my mind and my dragons noticed the visual signs of it all over my face.

"We should probably do our part over on our end now too," Fafnir said before carefully observing the room around us, "But seeing how we're stuck in this room doesn't exactly give us a lot of ideas on where to start looking for a dimensional portal." Seeing that doing nothing would be pointless and thinking over the best possible move from now Fafnir took the initiative to speak up our next course of action, "We'll check things out for you Ryuga." she said on behalf of the others who nodded in agreement, "We promise we'll be extra careful too, since you know, everyone can see us and all."

"Please do, last thing we'd want is to start an uproar in the whole kingdom just when we've already come to a peaceful state." I replied before noticing something odd, "Say….Where's Bahamut? Isn't he supposed to be with you?" I asked looking around.

"What do you mean? He's-" Jormangandr looked around, and was surprised when he realised his brother was indeed missing from the group, "That's odd, he was with us just a moment ago."

"Must have slipped away when we were having lunch….How rude of him." Tiamat muttered before sighing in dismay, "Sigh….Guess we'll have to look for him too….Hopefully he hasn't gotten himself caught by anyone yet. Otherwise the entire palace will be in a panic the moment they see him." As they all passed through the door one by one before splitting up in their search, she then turned one head to me, "Till then stay here don't get into any trouble." she sang before disappearing.

"Get into trouble? Me?" I questioned before sweat dropping, "That's easy for you to say since I'm stuck here." I then stood up and walked around the spacious yet still small room, "Great what to do..what to do…" I mumbled as I looked around what was available to me. Despite the already luxurious guest room I was given, as well as the open window and working bathroom, there really wasn't anything I could use to pass the time let alone entertain myself. "Guess asking for a TV would be out of the question, considering technology hasn't been invented yet here, and there's not even a decent book to read!" I then sighed before deciding to spend some time recording down everything that had happened so far in my duel disk, surely if I do manage to get back Reiji would love to hear about this. After that I decided to give myself a nice relaxing shower, which felt completely rejuvenating after my experiences today. With that out of the way I tried looking through my deck and try to work out any combos I could use to kill more time, but considering the already limited cards available to me at present there wasn't really anything new that i could come up with. I then lay flat on my bed for I don't know how ling and just before I was about to pass out from sheer boredom-

"Psst! Hey Ryuga! You up there?" A voice called out from nowhere.

"Huh?" I gasped as I opened my eyes quickly and sat up looking around, "I was sure I heard someone call….."

"Down here!" I heard it a second time, this time coming from outside my window.

"Hmm? Who could that be?" I wondered as I kicked my legs forward and flipped off the bed and onto my feet. I then walked towards the window and looked out, surprisingly it was only a single storey high from the ground onto the grassy field and bushes below. On the ground below my window stood Ikuchi who was waving her arm out to me.

"Hi Ryuga! I thought I'd find you at the guest bedroom." she said happy to see me.

"Ikuchi? What are you doing down there?" I asked curiously surprised to see her outside when her dad told her to go to her room a little while ago.

"Never mind that," she replied, "If you're not too busy you wouldn't mind playing with me for a bit would you?"

"Umm okay sure….I mean it's not like I have anything better to do." I replied with a raised eyebrow before turning back to my door, "But the thing is I'm kinda locked up at the moment, guess your dad still has some trust issues with me."

She then lowered her head, "Sigh…Why am I not surprised." She then noticed to the side of my window stretching down to the iron was a tangled wall of long green ivy. Heading towards it she pulled on and tapped it repeatedly to make sure it was strong enough to hold together. She then smiled knowing it was secure enough, "How about you can climb down this instead? It's definitely safe I know it!"

"Err I'll try…" I said uneasily as I stepped out of the window and slowly grabbed the vines. Thankfully she was right about the vines' strength, as I was able to lower myself slowly to the ground without any difficulty.

"Whistle, you handled that quite easily." Ikuchi commented impressed.

"Well, I've had some experience from where I come from," courtesy of action duel training, "Alright Ikuchi, what did you have in mind when you called me out here?" I then asked.

She then remembered, "About that, I really want to show you something! It's my personal favourite spot in the entire palace!" she said excitedly, "In fact, after I saw how connected you are with your monster allies, I know for sure you'll love it! Please come I insist!"

Seeing the determined look on her face as well as her bright eyes made feel most obliged to accept her invitation, "Okay sure why not, if you say it's really fun and interesting then I believe you. Besides, it'd be rude of me to refuse a lady like yourself." I said smiling.

"Yay!" she cheered almost like a little kid before suddenly regaining her composure, "I mean, glad you decided to accept. Thank you very much." She then blushed deep red, "Oh this is just embarrassing, to show such unrefined behaviour is most unbecoming of a royal princess like myself." she said turning away from me feeling shameful.

"Oh don't feel that way," I replied, "It just means you have a fun side to all that royal

"M..Me? Cute!?" she thought to herself completely flustered before shaking her head trying to erase any weird thoughts from coming up, which I had to admit was quite adorable but I made sure to hide my enjoyment with a relaxed poker face. "A..anyway it's right here this way! Come on!" She said as she brought me over to a small grove of trees with the entrance covered by a shade made from ivy and vines. As we continued on through the woods it started to get pretty dark as the trees on the sides of the path became much thicker and began to cover most of the sun, also apart from the sounds of our footsteps there wasn't a single animal cry or chirping of birds either.

Looking around it was starting to be pretty unnerving for me as it seemed far too quiet, "Umm Ikuchi?"

"Yes? Is something wrong Ryuga?" she asked.

"You sure it's fine to be out here and all? What if your dad catches us out here? Also, what if he returns and finds me not back in my room?" I asked feeling worried for our sakes.

She then smiled, "Oh don't worry, this won't take very long and we should be back by twilight. Also, my father has no idea of this secret place, he's always caught up in his duties he almost never has time to explore the entire palace thoroughly." she replied as we continued through the grove of trees.

"Whoa, the king actually doesn't know his entire home inside and out?" I thought to myself feeling mind-blown at such a discovery which I never thought could come from a king, let alone be possible.

"Yeah….it's quite unfortunate really….." she replied feeling rather downcast before noticing a ray of sunshine at the end of the path before us, "Oh look at that! We're here!"

I then looked up seeing the ray of light shining at the end of the forest path. At the end of it we came to a huge clearing filled with lush green grass, fresh air and many fields of pretty flowers spaced out throughout the entire area, which was surrounded by trees on all sides. There was also a large tree stump in the middle of the field and there were a number of trees also even spaced in it too. The atmosphere was most soothing and peaceful, compared to the town and the palace, it was complete untouched by human hands.

(The setting of the area was similar to that of ancient forest in Yugioh 5ds episode 19)

"Wow…This place is…really beautiful." I gasped in amazement at such a large open green space being so close to the palace.

"Hey hee, here's where the fun starts!" Ikuchi giggled before turning to the field and calling out, "Hey everyone! Ready to come out and play?" she called out as her voice echoed through the fields and woods. For a moment everything was silent till we heard rustling through the underbrush and the flattering of small around us from the trees, sky and bushes were a flock of duel spirits of different shapes and sizes emerging to greet us! I noticed a key mace, dream sprite and spirit of the breeze flutter from the sky and greet us with laughter and smiles. A watapon, shining friendship and petit angel hopped out form the bushes with excitement to see their old friend and a newcomer come to play with them. A playful possum hopped out from the trees while a mine mole popped out from the ground just in front of us. There were a few others too like petit dragon, fairy's gift, woodland sprite emerge from all around us and surrounded Ikuchi as she waved and happily greeted them.c"Hi everyone, did you miss me? Because I sure did!" Ikuchi said happily as the other monsters cheered. She then turned their attention towards me, "I'd like to introduce you to a new friend today! Come on Ryuga say hi!"

I simply stood, almost completely paralysed by awe and all I could manage was raise a hand, "H..Hi everyone…" I said softly, "Whoa…I can just imagine what Reiji and the others would give up to just get a small glimpse of this place…." I thought to myself as I could picture Yuya, me and other entertainment duelists bringing smiles with our duelling to everyone in the kingdom, or maybe even the kids indulging themselves in 24 hour playtime with pretty much every monster here. One by one the little monsters came up to and began circling me, eying me from all directions. I could tell they were observing me carefully so I couldn't help but feel a little bit nervous as they did so, I even sweat dropped when they came close to my face or even my backside. Then all of a sudden they came upon me like a swarm of bees! "H..Hey!" I cried as they quickly overwhelmed me in an instant!

"Oh dear!" Ikuchi gasped in shock, "Hey guys knock it off!" She then ran to try and help me out but then stopped to notice something else was taking place instead.

Hahaha! That tickles! Stop it! Hahaha!" I laughed as a number of them like watapon or petit angel began to snuggle up against me. I could tell the feelings from these monsters were warm and welcoming, making me realise they were all pure-hearted creatures and that Ikuchi had been taking good care of them….almost like how I do with my own monsters…

Ikuchi then smiled and giggled at the sight, "Haha! They seem to like you very much, just as I thought you really are connected with monsters on a level most others here don't, no wonder they've opened up so much to you." she said gladly before running a few spaces back, "Well everyone, let's have some fun! Catch me if you can!" Everyone around us cheered as we started to indulge in the moment of joy and happiness. We played various games like tag and even a bit of hide and seek in the foliage, and even pretend battle until we couldn't go on anymore and then just lay back on the grass looking up at the blue sky and the many white clouds blowing by the wind.

"Ahahaha! Thanks for joining us Ryuga, you really helped make things way more exciting around here than normal!" Ikuchi laughed as she fell backward onto a soft path of flowers. Some of the spirits began to gather around her and snuggle in her welcoming embrace, like happy lover and shining friendship.

"Hehehe! No problem Ikuchi, I should thank you for helping me get out of that room just now." I replied before sitting down on the grass, "I probably would've died from lack of fun if I had to stay in that room doing nothing for another second. Hahahaha." I then noticed a catnip kitty purr as it crawled up to me, so I began stroking it gently and it followed by nuzzling up against me, boy was it fluffy…."So many things I could've done too, if King Avalon hadn't kept me on a tight leash and give me a little more freedom and trust."

"I'm glad you boredom's been satisfied Ryuga, and you're very much welcome….haha…." Ikuchi giggled before pausing for a moment. She then turned to me with a somewhat anxious face before suddenly asking, "Ummm…" she then mustered up the courage to finish her sentence, "So Ryuga, how exactly are things for you back home?" she asked curiously.

I then turned to her, "Oh? Why all of a sudden Ikuchi?" I asked feeling puzzled at the question from out of the blue.

"Well….It's just that….I'm curious." she replied sheepishly.

"Okay…." I replied before adopting a more positive and welcoming expression, "So what would you like to know?"

"Ummm well…..Like, what life is like for you in where you live?" she said, "You say you come from another world right? I just want to know how it's like and what everyday life for you is like."

"Oh? That's all?" I replied with a smile, "Hehe that's easy! It's great! In fact, everyday is like an adventure waiting to be undertaken!"

"R..really?" her ears perked up at my statement.

"Oh sure, it all starts with me waking up to see my friends, in fact they're so close I even consider them to be family."

"Friends…as family?" She didn't think I'd come from such a humble background.

I nodded as I began to enlighten Ikuchi about the things I look forward to each day I live, about how technologically advanced Maiami City is, action duel training and even the various entertainment duelling and performances we undergo everyday! We duel to not only give smiles to the people we reach out to but also to guide them on the right path of duelling, as well as uniting everyone through our duels. I decided to leave out the topic about the 4 dimensions and the dimensional war figuring that would be best left out. "Overall everything about my life back home is great, to always be surrounded by family and friends you can count on everyday you live. Just the excitement to experience that every single day you live is what gives me the energy to always look forward to tomorrow without any hesitation or worry." I concluded to the awe and amazement of the duel spirits listening in on my story.

Ikuchi remained silent for a moment thinking over everything I told her before speaking out her thoughts, "That's….lovely. You're really fortunate to have such a wonderful life." she said feeling somewhat sad and jealous, but also happy for me.

"It's a life I'll always be appreciative of," I then laid down and folded my arms over my head while looking at the sky, "But compared to you, you're so lucky."

"Lucky? What do you mean by that?" she asked curiously as her smile suddenly vanished.

"Huh? You don't know?" I questioned before sitting up and moving back to the stump, "I mean you live in luxury pretty much everyday, have servants to tend to your every need. Served great food everyday, having a nice warm bed to sleep in…" Looking around us I then smiled, "You even have this place where you can make fiends with all the spirits you want! If this isn't what you call lucky then I don't know what is! Seeing you have all this to yourself without anything to worry about….would make me or anyone feel jealous."

She then remained silent with a shade covering her eyes as I finished."You don't know a thing about me or what I've seen and experienced first hand! You dare say I have it easy!?" she suddenly yelled.

"Ikuchi!?" I gasped completely caught by surprise at her sudden shift in mood from happy to furious! In fact, now she now carried a look that glared daggers at me! The rest of the little spirits jumped back in shock, some even beginning to run away out of fear!

"You couldn't even begin to grasp the idea on what we went through, so don't say as you please or act like you know anything about us!" she screamed with tears of sadness starting to form in her eyes suddenly.

"Whoa! Whoa! Ikuchi! What's gotten into you all of a sudden!?" I gasped while holding my arms out frantically, "If I said something to tick you off then I'm sorry! But I did't mean anything like that at all! I swear!"

She then blinked her eyes a few times before shaking her head and taking a few steps back to realign her composure, "I…I'm sorry Ryuga….it's just….hearing you act so carefree when you said that….drove me over the edge somewhat." she apologised while looking away, "I don't blame you for not understanding though, you don't know what it's truly like here in Norvagen, and I think that might be for the best."

"Wh…what do you mean?" I asked curiously, "It's beautiful here, not to mention it's really peaceful and all your people are kind and warm. Not to mention you have so many friends here, I don't see why you could be so angry about your life here." She said nothing which concerned me, so I went up to her to try and comfort her depressed mood, "Look Ikuchi, I know we aren't friends and I don't expect you to trust me like an equal yet, but if you need to get something off your chest, you can tell me anything. Please believe me, I'm here for you now and I won't let you shelter whatever burden you're experiencing now on your own." I said looking into her eyes seriously.

"Do you….really mean that?" she gasped.

"Every word of it." I replied firmly looking back at her.

She then remained silent for a moment before taking in a breath and looking to me, "Very well Ryuga, I'll tell you everything. You should sit down though, it might take a while to explain it all but I hope you can bear with me."

"It's fine, I usually enjoy listening to long stories and hearing from other's sides too." I said as I sat back down on the tree stump and looked to her, "It helps me understand other perspectives much better and so I know how to better approach people next time. So go ahead, take all the time you need to explain everything."

She then nodded, "Very well then I'll start from the beginning." She then closed her eyes calmly as she reluctantly began to recount the events that occurred years ago prior to our encounter today, "I understand you see Norvagen as a prospering utopia now….but….you can never imagine the travesty we all went through a long time ago in order to achieve this….It's something I wish to have forgotten for so long, but every night it haunts me even to this day….."

"Something tells me I was going to let on about a dark past which anyone wished would stay buried." I thought to myself as I prepared my heart and mind for her hallowing tale and braced myself for anything that she would say. But what she revealed was like a startling revelation to me…

 **(Flashback)**

"Long ago when I was a little girl around half my current age, Norvagen was a much different kingdom from the one you see now. Back then, people lived in perfect harmony with monsters but unlike today, they weren't bound by stone tablets nor manipulated by diadhanks. In fact monsters of many kinds both human-like and beast lived alongside people as equals in everyday life. They supported one another as you said friends did by helping each other in tasks neither side could accomplish alone."

All kinds of monsters lived side by side with people as equals, from large behemoths like green baboon and last tusk mammoth aiding builders in heavy duty work and building, to others like mathematician and ancient brain gladly teaching children in schools about the world.

"That sounds very peaceful and like a perfect paradise for both cultures." I said intrigued by how things were compared to now, where the only monsters I noticed were human ones like spirit of the harp or gearfried the iron knight.

"It was indeed, however, none of that was possible without the aid of our kind and benevolent goddess, Leviathan." Ikuchi added which made my ears perked up.

"Leviathan?"

"That's right, the legendary dragon who created the foundation for Norvagen." Ikuchi added, "Long ago, this land was once constantly ravaged by war not between countries but between people and monsters."

"War!? Between people and duel monsters!?" I gasped in disbelief.

(The scene displayed a large plain at sunrise which neared the sea. As the sun rose over the horizon, one side revealed an army of villagers and people armed with spears, pitchforks and the other revealed a group of various ritual support monsters like Manju of the ten thousand hands, Nekroz, Gishki and Djinns. (Non ritual monsters) They eyed each other with complete hatred and animosity before charging forward screaming battle cries.)

Ikuchi nodded, "While it's hard to believe it was true. Back then, because people and monsters had little in common, both sides were almost locked in eternal conflict with each other for control over the land's limited resources, and that made life a constant struggle for both factions, especially for the innocent lives caught in the crossfire or those who lost their homes because of it. The tides of battle shifted many times and the final battle took place right here where Norvagen now stands.

"That's terrible…" I already seen the damage and destruction war can inflict on people. Destroyed buildings or flesh wounds, these heal quickly. But emotional scars and pain take much longer to recover from, sometimes even irreparable. I remember the inter dimensional war all to well from my time with the lancers, but to think people would fight against the very monsters we in the other dimensions value, to the death no less is unthinkable.

"It was indeed, and the destruction of both sides seemed inevitable as both sides armed themselves for one final battle. However, in a twist of fate before their blades clashed something miraculous happened." A large pillar of water suddenly shot out of the sea which brought both armies to a stop as they were immediately frozen by shock at the unexpected sight. The pillar of water twisted itself into a serpentine shape before taking form as a watery sea serpent dragon! It then let out a mighty roar which released a powerful wave of energy which began to spread across the land and envelop the entire armies which were seconds from coming into contact with each other!

"And so, the terrible forces that threatened the land had suddenly transformed. All at once anger and hatred changed into understanding and hope, for the dragon made them realise that what they would do would be disastrous for all and so the fighting stopped. Both sides immediately came to a stop and developed mutual respect for one another, thus ending the conflict once and for all." Ikuchi continued. And that wasn't all, after that the water dragon took to the air before transforming itself into magical rain, which began to restore the devastated land all across the world as it fell upon the desolate ground. As the land finally healed its injuries, a stone tablet rose from the ground which revealed the sealed form of the ritual dimension's and all before it began to bow down in worship.

"That sounds….amazing." I said out loud, "To come face to face with such a dragon, would be a huge honour."

Ikuchi smiled, "Agreed. In fact since then, all have regarded Leviathan as their high protector and goddess. In exchange for the continued peace, she granted them knowledge and wisdom which enabled them to greatly advance in more ways than you can believe. What one side couldn't accomplish alone, they did so together as one without any animosity. Through these developing connections and trust between each other, monsters were able to evolve in various ways through the power of ritual which grew with the ever growing bonds with humans." People were able to tap into the residual magic flowing through the land and create rituals of their own, which enabled certain monsters to grow in power as their bonds and connections grew with humans. An example was sages holding up a gishki Aquamirror and allowed a Gishki shadow to transform into Evigishki Soul ogre with its light.

"It wasn't just monsters who prospered and evolved from the bonds forged, humanity too took its next step in advancing. From small villages and settlements soon came large towns and eventually the Kingdom of Norvagen was born." Ikuchi continued, "According to my father this story has been passed down in my family for generations and it always has been. In fact, the royal family has always taken a huge responsibility in maintaining the balance between human and monster for many years, as well helping to maintain the peaceful relations between both factions in honour of Leviathan, as well as the sacred prophecy foretold on her stone tablet."

"A prophecy?" I asked.

"A prophecy which we believe would release Leviathan from stone," Ikuchi answered, "Let one whose soul is as pure as the most tranquil and peaceful of waters, as well as carrying the powerful strength of the great blizzard, may the ritual to free the dragon who sleeps in stone be made known." She said as she closed her eyes and memorised, "We had hope to one day bring her into this world and in return for all that she has graciously bestowed upon us. However, deciphering the prophecy has proven difficult, even for the most skilled and accomplished spiritualists in my father's rule. Many tried but they all failed, and as such everyone has all but given up on trying to break the seal."

"I see, that's really interesting….Never knew the ritual dimension had such a rich history and lore." I said in response, "So that's what those dragon crests all over the palace were about….Guess they show how much the people here respected Leviathan as their deity. A badge of highest honour." I realised, "But still, why does Leviathan seem so familiar? That prophecy also rings a bell somewhere….Also, what does all this have to do with the splitting of the original dimension? Hmmm…." I thought to myself secretly.

"Regardless of that, for a long time Leviathan still continued to usher in a golden era of peace and prosperity for Norvagen, something I've treasured in my heart from then to even now, something I hold dear and will never forget." Ikuchi said smiling remembering her younger days when she was allowed to play amongst any and all monsters that came into the palace grounds. She suddenly signed before becoming much more downcast, "But then….one day…something happened….Something, terrible."

I immediately stepped out of my thoughts hearing those words, observing her tone and and expression I could tell she was about to bring up a much darker tale now which I immediately braced for, "What happened?"

"It all changed one night. Everything was peaceful as always. In fact, it was the night we were to celebrate the coming of the 2 stars as they called it. The day human and monster were untied as one." The streets were alive with the bustling activity of singing and dancing. Lanterns were hung out along wires from roof to roof to light the streets, in the square clown monsters like dream clown, jester confit and jester lord began performing all kinds of fun and entertaining shows in front of crowds with both monsters and people. A pair of gemini elves performed on the sidelines with their synchronised dancing while a spirit of the harp played beautiful music on a set up stage, alongside a sonic maid and hibikime. There were also games where some men on horses went up against monsters in jousts such as against doomcaliber knight as well as there being various food stands being set up and prepared by both human and monster chefs like bistro butcher. It was a time everyone celebrated without worry and with a blow of trumpets a group of knights came forward with a hand held carriage being lifted behind them. Everyone came to a stop and looked before their rulers King Avalon, a young Princess Ikuchi and a shadowed female figure who was her mother and the queen.

"My father began to issue a proclamation to the entirety of the kingdom to remind all to remember honouring and respecting monsters as our equals all in honour of our great deity and goddess. However, right before he could do so a tragedy struck without warning." She said as nightmares from her past began to return to her.

Some of the monsters gathered before King Avalon started become agitated, and all of a sudden they began to attack! Soon the streets were filled with chaos and the cries of confusion as the monsters ravaged the kingdom! A flock of Whiptail crows and Kuramas swooped in from the air and began carrying off innocent townsfolk or pinning them down on the ground aggressively! A pair of great angus roared as they charged through and tore apart the buildings and stands that got in their way and at the food stands, swarms of hungry burgers began to attack and even devour innocent civilian or even the chefs who made them! At the very sight of the rampaging monsters, the entire royal family could only look on in shock at the chaos unravelling before their eyes.

As the king tried desperately to rally his available and present troops to repel the out of control monsters, a reaper of the cards suddenly materialised from the shadows below the carriage! It then rose into the air before charging straight at Ikuchi to her and her father's horror! But before the scythe came into contact with the little girl's fragile body, the unthinkable happened.

SLASH!

"MOTHER!" A horrified Ikuchi cried as the shaded female figure came in and took the blow which was intended for her!

Back in the present Ikuchi shed a single tear and sniffled as she continued reliving the tragedy that day, "My mother died shielding me from one of the attacking monsters, and I'll never forget the last words she said to my father after he managed to slay it himself with his own sword." King Avalon then carried up his severely weakened wife in his arms, whose clothes were heavily seeped in blood, and to Ikuchi's sheer distress. He begged her to stay with him and that she can pull through this, but she then uttered her final words with her last dying breath, "Avalon, promise me you'll protect our daughter….the kingdom….always…." She then closed her eyes as Avalon's eyes began to cry tears of pain and bitterness and then screamed a yell of despair which echoed through he burning kingdom. Ikuchi then lay her face on her mother's lifeless body as she began to weep bitterly.

 **(Present)**

I almost felt my heart crack hearing that entire story, as if the inter dimensional war wasn't enough, this made it seem more like workers on strike. I then grit my teeth and nearly shed a tear trying to hold back all my emotions building up inside me, at least during the inter dimensional war people weren't killed, only carded. But here, some had lost their lives in an unprovoked attack or even trying to protect others in the process, it was unforgivable. The small duel monsters around us began to have the same feeling of remorse and sadness after hearing the story. "That's terrible…I'm…really sorry Ikuchi for your loss." I mouthed out pityingly before becoming more serious, "But, I know monsters! No way they could have acted as such on their own! Let alone being unprovoked!" I yelled furiously.

"I agree too," Ikuchi added, "Even what that reaper did I still hold no grudges against it or any of the other monsters that ran wild that night. We lived in peace for so many years, for something like that to have happened so suddenly without any provocation or reason….it just seems so…impossible…."

"And that's what I tried to tell my father before he could jump to any rash decisions, when we took refuge in our…special chamber for where we made prayers and offerings to Leviathan. But… his fears that night had won out after his prayers amounted to nothing. He completely gave in to his worries as well as giving up on Leviathan, our deity who had blessed us for so many generations, immediately. Out of his worries, ordered an immediate retaliation against the rampaging monsters before things got more out of hand." A battalion of knights charged out from the castle to fight off the monsters rampaging in the town. Despite their brave efforts more and more of our warriors were felled in battle at the superior might and powers of the monsters, but just when it seemed all hope was lost,"

As a sky dragon descended from the sky to incinerate a helpless soldier on the ground with its flames, it suddenly froze in place and shrieked in pain! A stone tablet suddenly erupted from the ground and it was forced inside it! All looked up to see the one responsible was a man in sage like robes and wielding a powerful looking staff, which had a base which resembled being encrusted in dragon scales, and even had a claw like feature at the end of it holding a glass orb in it. "The man who brought forth this new revolutionary change and turn in the tide of battle was…." she then swallowed hard to force out the name of the man, "Enigma."

"Enigma? As in that advisor man in the fancy cloak who your father had at his side?" I asked curiously.

Ikuchi nodded, "Yes, however back then he was once merely a humble servant of the king as well as Norvagen's prime minister.

"No one knows how he accomplished it but he did so and proclaimed that only he is the solution to this unfolding disaster. He also vowed that if the king were to give him a chance and have everyone put their faith in him, he can prove to the entire kingdom that the monsters aren't to be feared and that the threats they pose can easily be halted." As soon as he said so, he used his staff and granted my father and a number of our knights the ability to conjure up stone slates and use them to imprison more and more of the berserk monsters. It was a very long night of hardship and fierce battles, so much that i couldn't bear to watch any longer." Ikuchi said as she remembered turning away from the carnage and isolating herself alone in the shrine chamber.

It took many hours but eventually, the peace was restored to the kingdom of Norvagen as every rampaging monster was sealed away into stone slates, though this achievement didn't come without sacrifices or casualties." As the horses began to cart off mounds of stone tablets away to a safe store location, other members of the public began to mournfully retrieve the bodies of their many dead or dying comrades who were caught in the middle of the fighting. Many of which were scarred emotionally to have their very lives ruined in a single event, and even turned their backs on the traditions they once believed in. "After that night, my father promoted Enigma to be his right hand at the palace, even declaring him a hero who saved Norvagen. Surely enough he received plenty of reward and praise from the entire kingdom in recognition of the courage he displayed in Norvagen's darkest hour."

"Him a hero? Well he sure didn't seem to act the part when I met him…." I muttered to myself in disbelief, "So…what happened after that?" I asked uneasily.

"Well…the following day under Enigma's consultation my father immediately decreed that every and all monsters be put under control no matter how big or small. I tried my best to convince him not to go through with this, but he decided to put more faith in Enigma instead of me…." she said, "As a result, I've seen more than enough innocent monsters since then have been sealed away in tablets on sight and without hesitation by my father's men." She said as she began remembering her father's soldiers and knights patrolling the streets for all monsters they could find, even breaking into to others' homes and sealing away any monsters they were hiding or secretly taking refuge. They did so without mercy, either out of belief it was a noble cause or even in sheer amusement (Reminiscent of Academia's soldiers)

"Intelligent humanoid monsters like Doriado, or the blade and command knights in my father's army were able to adapt easily into the changing society. Being able to live amongst us as regular workers or even simple slaves. However, the more feral and beastly ones were not as fortunate. In fact, these were the ones that the people and my father feared the most, so they were often unfairly and cruelly punished and restrained in order to tame their fighting spirits."

A number of beast monsters like Berserk gorilla and voltic kong were being shipped away in carts to the sealing chambers where they would be put into stone tablets for eternity, while locked up in tight cages along the way. To keep them from getting out of hand the handlers often struck them repeatedly with hard clubs while at a safe distance, and they roared in pain and became more meek and submissive as a result.

"Some are even forced to fight for the entertainment of the kingdom at times like at the arena you duelled captain Jilen," Ikuchi revealed which alarmed me even more so!

At the arena where I duelled, a Gehsu Fufma stepped onto the battlefield against a Ryu Kokki. Despite the sheer difference in size the large zombie was the one that was outmatched as the female warrior made short work of cleaving it into multiple pieces and watching it cry and writhe in pain before it perished on the field. In another match a battle ox and battle steer were pitted against a total defence shogun and a human gladiator partner, and the ox and steer were painfully tortured and drugged to make them more aggressive and to ensure the crowds got their money's worth of excitement and intense combat.

"The people enjoyed those matches of blood and violence, even enjoying their pain and anguish. Out of spite and bitterness towards them, wanting the monsters to experience the other end of the spear, honestly it was just revolting…." she said disgusted.

"That's….horrible…" I said, "I understand keeping monsters in check but that's going way too far!"

"I couldn't agree more, but it wasn't just the monsters that were having….impossible times. Since that night, everything in my life has been decided for me against my will. Also my freedom has been all but strictly forbidden as if I have been restrained forcefully to no more than the palace itself. I was like a prisoner in my own home." She said as some of the duel spirits whimpered sadly, experiencing her same feelings.

"How so? It didn't seem that way." I asked once more curiously.

"I'm not surprised," she sighed while leaning to one side with her head in one hand, "As I grew older since that day, I've been forced to learn and follow various rules and responsibilities that come with being princess, even more so apparently. As if learning past history and lessons from strict teachers, I even had to walk the part! Can you believe it!?" she cried, "I complained to my father many times and everytime he kept saying it was all for the sake of Norvagen's future and to rule in his place when he is gone. He treats me more like an obedient doll rather than his actual daughter….Why can't he ever see that or accept me for who I am?"

"Whoa…..I never knew royalty could be that harsh." I commented while at a complete loss of words for the situation, but very soon I was about to get a mountain dropped on me from what she was about to reveal to me next.

"That's not the worst if it," Ikuchi continued, "Due to Enigma's 'heroic act' of quelling the disaster and chaos with his powers, he had won my father's trust very easily and so he quickly rose in ranks to become the chief advisor you see today. With his magic he was able to create not just more stone slates for monster capture, but even managed to forge diadhanks, devices which had the power to control and manipulate the monsters within the tablets, which were then entrusted to those within father's inner circle or those he deemed worthy enough to handle." She continued, "In fact, he had won my father's favour that well he was even….even…" she then grit her teeth in anger and clenched her fist hard, "Promised my hand in marriage!"

My eyes widened in bewilderment, "Your dad forced you into an arranged marriage!?" I cried appalled, "How could they do such a thing?! Against your will, that's completely unacceptable! Especially not with something as significant as love for the rest of your life!"

"I know that, I'd rather be devoured by a black tyranno then spend the rest of my life with that….that….arrogant, stuck up man!" she replied feeling angry herself, "But….this is a pledge made in honour of the king's vow, so no one can go against it without experiencing any force or reinforcement. So there's….really nothing I can do…" She then held her head down, "Due to my duties, lessons and trainings, I've never had the chance to get to know other people or the world beyond the castle walls. Apart from the spirit friends you see before you, I have no one else…..Sometimes I even wish I wasn't a princess or even born at all." The spirits then came closer to her in the hopes of giving her whatever comfort they could provide, "In fact, this glade here is the only place where I can still treat my monster friends as equals, everywhere else, it's either slavery or imprisonment. Even though it's against my father's wishes to get close to and interact with monsters, there's no way I'll ever abandon my closest friends, who've always been there for me. Bottom line is, Norvagen is no paradise for monsters anymore." she said sadly. As she finished speaking, the forest spirits around her began to look all down and gloomy, as if they could understand her sad feelings and depression about the tranquil harmony between human and monsters being nothing but a distant memory.

"I'm sorry." I said sadly as I put my hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her even though it was completely futile.

"It's okay, at least you know now." She replied softly, "I've wanted to get away from it all earlier this morning, which was why I decided to take a stroll through the country side behind my father's back, hoping it would help me take my mind off all this at least for a while….I'll admit it didn't quite go as I had hoped for, you know being ambushed by bandits and all." She then looked to me, "But then I met you. In fact, seeing you and hearing everything you've done actually filled me with some hope that Norvagen can be brought back to its golden days…..although, considering my father's hard and stern beliefs after that incident years ago…..that's hard to believe."

"I feel for you, and I'm glad I was able to bring you some hope at least." I said empathetically, "It's understandable your father only wants what's best for you and wants to protect you. But to bring you up in such a way without any regard or care for your own feelings is just plain wrong." I tried my best to say something to say to her, and after many moments of reconsidering and thinking it over, I then came up with what may be the best things to to help bring up her confidence and spirit, "Listen Ikuchi," she then looked to me curiously, "I know I probably have no right to say this or that I'm in no position to do so, but…I think you should actually decide what you want for yourself!"

"Decide…..for myself?" she asked looking to me in surprise.

"Yeah!" I replied, "I mean it's your life right? No one should have the right to take it from you the only one who should decide our own path is ourselves. Only you and you alone should make the choices for what you truly want, for yourself and the kingdom."

"You make it sound easy." said Ikuchi still feeling somewhat unconvinced.

"There are times when it isn't, but it's what I know and believe in." I replied thinking back on all the obstacles I been through during the war against Academia and Zarc, "After all, I've never let things like fate or destiny control me. I've always worked hard with resolve and determination to carve out a new path and future for myself. Both me, and other close friends I know back home, we hold on together and stay with each other through thick and thin and because of that we've always prevailed over every challenge life has presented us. And I'm sure you can do the same!"

"You…really mean that?" her eyes widened in surprise at my faith in her.

I nodded, "Of course! If you ask me, even if you choose to become queen you could do it by your own free will, and when that happens, I believe you can change the way everyone thinks about duel monsters!"

"You….really believe that? That we can make monsters….equals…maybe even as friends? Is that really possible?" she gasped.

"I do, absolutely." I replied firmly with an encouraging smile, "After all, just because everything seems incredibly difficult it doesn't mean it's impossible to overcome. It's something my friends taught me a long time ago, when all seems hopeless, all that matters is that you never give up and always smile at the fact you tried. It's something I'll always treasure and live by till the end of time."

Ikuchi was caught completely by surprise, not once had she seen someone with such enthusiasm and positive energy. Not only did I have such faith in an ideal, but also believed in her too. "That's….so sweet….It actually fills me with hope, that a perfect world of harmony between human and monster, can be a reality once again." She then thought to herself for a moment before facing me again, "Umm Ryuga?" Ikuchi asked making me look to her, "Thank you very much, I truly am humbled by what you just said, but if it doesn't trouble you, may I make a small request to you?"

"Sure why not?" I replied curiously wondering what she would want, not that I could offer much….Though seeing her uneasy expression and conflicted feelings made me believe she wanted something valuable.

She then clasped her hands together and looked up at me, "Will…..will you have a duel with me?"

I expected many things from her but a that surely wasn't one of them, "Huh? A duel? With you?"

She nodded firmly, "Yes. I want to prove to my father that I'm not the same helpless child that I once was that night. That I'm strong and wise enough to make my own decisions in life! I also want to show you my strength so I can make a world where everyone, both human and monster can be happy!" she answered back with determined eyes, "Please accept my challenge Ryuga!"

I then smiled, "Wow, in that case sure! I'd be happy to duel you Ikuchi!" I replied eagerly for a chance to duel Norvagen's princess!

"Oh thank you!" she smiled, "Also I wish to see for myself if what you say is true."

"About what?" I asked.

"I heard you say a duel may help one discover who he or she truly is, and that I should l choose my own destiny and never let anyone else decide for me." she answered, "If you truly believe that, maybe I can find the answer to that in a duel that I put my entire heart and soul into!" She said energetically as she reached into her dress' side and pulled out a diadhank which she attached to her arm, "Don't hold anything back just because I am a princess. Though I may not look like it, I've taken plenty of duelling lessons by Captain Jilen himself in order to control monsters for self defence, so I can hold my own just fine in a duel."

I then grinned in response, "In that case, let's have a match worthy of this very moment! Also, I'll be sure to treat you to a special duel style I learnt way back at home, prepare to be blown away!" I declared as I activated my duel disk while Ikuchi activated her Diadhank.

 **Field Spell, Crossover!**

The tranquil glade became enveloped in blue space as the action cards dispersed and floating platforms materialised, with the forest spirits widening their eyes in awe at the sight, as well as cheering on their closest friend Ikuchi to do her very best.

DUEL!

 **(Dragon POV)**

Meanwhile at the very same time, Bahamut was floating throughout the castle halls, apparently he had snuck away while I was having lunch earlier. Now he was passing through various rooms (Like the ball room, banquet hall, weapons armoury or even the dungeon, which he found distasteful to see old bones of former criminals) quietly to avoid detection best he could, since everyone here was capable of seeing the souls of monsters even outside card form. The task wasn't easy as even if he was able to hide from sight, they could always sense his presence quite easily, forcing him to take various detours from the exact place he had in mind. "Hmm, last I remember it was around….here!" He said to himself as he finally found the entrance to the king's throne room! As he entered he then stood before the throne as before, "It was right here, now to-"

"There you are brother." a voice spoke behind him. He then turned around to find his 3 siblings standing before him.

"You…." he muttered not expecting them to be on to him so soon.

"We've been looking all over the castle for you, we're lucky we haven't caused any uproar or panic just by trying to sneak around." Jormangandr said concerned, "Is there something troubling you that you refuse to share with us? Your own family?"

Tiamat then stepped forth, "It's not like you to disappear behind our backs, that's something I should be doing not you!" she hissed before Fafnir and Jormangandr turned to her with distraught expressions, before returning their attention to the matter at hand.

"Alright Bahamut, spill it. What is it you're after here?" Fafnir asked.

He then turned his head towards the throne, "I know you 3 wouldn't agree with me, but I sensed something just beyond this room. Something…very familiar." he said as he edged towards the back of the throne.

Fafnr then sniffed the air and so did Jormangandr, "Really? Because I don't sense anything out of the ordinary."

"Neither can I."

Tiamat then scowled, "Hmph, while I would actually believe you brother, I can't help but be a little bit doubtful of your 'special sense'. How would we know that you're not just making something up just so you can explore the place and do as you please, without us on the top of that!?" Fafnir and Jormangandr sweat dropped at her remark.

He then phased through the wall just behind the throne, "Perhaps laying eyes on this will change your minds." As they followed him inside they were all surprised to find a shadowed stairway which headed deeper into the castle's catacombs.

"I take back what I said." Tiamat said in disbelief as she and the others followed Bahamut, "Though I wonder….Why only you can sense it?" She actually felt jealous since Bahamut was always my favourite and most trusted of them, so she couldn't help but feel envious that fortune was mostly on him. However, she also had a suspicious feeling that there was something more to this place and that only her brother may know. At the end of the passage, the 4 dragons came to a stop in a chamber which resembled an ancient shrine! The room they were in resembled that of an ancient temple, with a number of ancient inscriptions engraved on its walls, each depicting a story of sorts. One showed ancient drawings of people and various duel monsters living in perfect harmony with one another as equals, and depicted an era of peace and love. (Not just humanoid monsters like spell casters or warriors, but even beasts, dragons and sea serpent monsters) The picture that followed it showed the monsters laying waste to everything before them and people running in fear and terror from their relentless attacks as if they were being hunted like sheep by wolves. Their homes being laid waste to and some brave warriors and soldiers even desperately trying to fight them off but to no avail. The final picture depicted a human wizard standing above a high area, holding up a staff and above him appeared to be a glowing stone tablet and showing all the wild monsters being absorbed and sealed into it! That picture portrayed the wizard as the kingdom's hero and saviour during its dark times.

"Whoever designed this chamber picked a really good spot for it." Fafnir commented looking around in awe, "Nobody would imagine to find such a sacred room behind the king's throne."

"What do you suppose these pictures mean?" Tiamat asked curiously as she and the others looked around the entire room investigating everything they came upon.

"I don't know, perhaps they depict a series of events that happened here in the ritual dimension?" Jormangandr followed just as intrigued as he continued to observe them.

"Whatever this place is, it's no doubt sacred and precious to the people of this world if they were to treat it in such high regard…." Bahamut said as his eyes caught sight of something else in front of him. The various torched aligned on the sides of a straight path to a pedestal at the very front of the room, and above it stood a stone tablet. Depicted on it as the form and figure of a sea dragon that the 4 guardians never imagined they would ever see again since the original dimension.

"It….can't be…." he gasped as he edged closer to it.

His siblings couldn't believe it either, they almost believed their eyes were deceiving them, but what they saw the actual truth, "No way! Is that…Leviathan!?" Tiamat exclaimed astonished.

"I see it but…I can't believe it…." Fafnir followed.

"I thought…she was lost forever!" Jormangandr concluded.

Bahamut said nothing as he continued walking closer towards the stone, "Can it really be? After all these years, have I finally found her?" he thought. But as he took another step, a bright light emanated without warning from the giant stone slate!

"AAARGGHH!" They all cried as the blinding light swallowed them completely! When they all awoke they found themselves in an endless brightly coloured space, similar to a spirit realm but also quite different.

"Wh..Where are we?" They looked around aimlessly hoping for some sort of worm hole or exit portal but had no such luck.

"Wherever we are, it's clear we've been brought here. Question is…who?"

"Who comes before me? Identify yourselves at once!" A voice emanated from somewhere. Looking around they saw nothing, but soon the tablet from the shrine room materialised in front of them. The dragon on the statue immediately flowed, before a spirit of its form emerged from it, (Like how ancient fairy dragon did in the 5ds anime when she was sealed in stone). The magnificent azure blue sea dragon, with icicle scales and marine like fins appeared before them as a spirit, a form that had not been seen for many years. The very sight of her made the 4 guardians and even time itself freeze completely in place and look on overwhelmed with astonishment.

As the dragon opened her eyes, they widened instantly at the first being in her sight, "B…Bahamut!?" she gasped in amazement, "Is that really you?"

"Yes Leviathan! It's me!" he cried in sheer joy, no words could possibly describe what he was feeling.

"Not just him." Stepping out from behind him were the other 3 dragons, Fafnir, Tiamat and Jormangandr.

"It's been a very long time old friend, I see that even though much time has passed since we last met your majesty beauty has remained unchanged." Jormangnadr complimented. As soon as he said that however, a cold breeze suddenly blew through the space around them. All of a sudden, the air became hard and the building tension emitted heavy pressure upon the 4 guardians, who sensed the change almost instantly.

"What are you doing here?" Leviathan said seriously, which caught the others off guard.

"Huh? Leviathan?" They noticed her gentle aura had hardened and became cold and bitter.

"You have no right to come before me! Not after what you all did!" she suddenly roared, with venom in her words. As she did so a rush of cold air swept through from her stone seal!

"We….did!?"

"What do you mean!?" They held their ground best they could at the sudden change in the weather, but it was for immense than anything they had experienced thus far!

"Do you really not know!? You all did nothing!" She shrieked furiously, "You only stood by and watched Dahaka seal me away in the wretched stone prison for so many years!"

"S…Seal away…What do you…AH!" Bahamut grunted before suddenly remembering exactly what she was speaking about.

 **(Flashback)**

In the ruins of the city back in the original dimension, Dahaka had gathered his four dragons in the square and were just about to intercept Zarc at one of the high towers. However, before they could do so, they had to ensure they were in optimal battling condition, and that included….removing anything that may hinder their ability to fight.

"Master, I assume we're ready to face Zarc now?" Leviathan asked before acting much more determined before her master, "You have my word that I'll give everything I have for this, even my life for it! No matter what happens you can rely on me to aid you in this fight to protect your world!"

Dahaka said nothing at first while his dragons looked on silently, "About that Leviathan, there's been…a change of plans." As he finished he turned to her.

"Huh?"

"After seeing your abilities, we're realised that you'll only hold us back Leviathan, nothing more." Dahaka

"What!? But…master! You can't seriously mean that!" Leviathan gasped in astonishment. She wanted to lie, but that was exactly what she heard form her masters mouth. She then turned desperately to Bahamut for support, but instead he turned a blind eye to her emotionlessly, and the others soon followed. At that moment, her feelings of faith and trust soon became mixed with shock and disbelief, until she didn't know what to believe in anymore. "You….W…Why?"

"Believe me what I say, we'll be much better off in this fight without you! Forget about us ever meeting or ever being !" He shouted as a stone tablet suddenly erupted behind Leviathan to her alarm.

"Wh..What are you doing!?" she gasped in alarm, but as she turned back Dahaka channeled the energy he had gathered from his other dragons and infused it with he slate, and it began to suck her inside!

"AAAAHHH!" she screamed as she tried hard to fight against the energy vortex. As a large ditch effort to escape, she turned to her only hope left, "Help me my love! Please!" Bahamut however didn't respond to her words.

"How….How could you…? I thought we were inseparable…." She then teared as despair flooded her entire should before snarling furiously,"I HATE YOU!" she screeched as she was finally sealed into the stone slab. From inside she witnessed her master and the other 4 dragons through a small opening, Bahamut in particular, turn around and walk away towards the tower without a backwards glance.

 **(Present)**

"I've never forgotten the day you betrayed me, especially you Bahamut!" she roared, "You swore we would always be together, and that you would never abandon me! You lied to me! LIED!"

"Leviathan you've got it all wrong!" he cried frantically.

"That's not what happened at all!" Fafnir cried out vouching for her brother.

"Don't deny it! You all just stood by and let Dahaka seal me away in this tablet!" she screamed bitterly, having lost reason, "I remember it clear as crystal. I was ready to sacrifice my own life to save the original dimension, but casted me aside as if I meant absolutely nothing! Even after everything we've been through…the journeys, the joys and bonds we forged, you threw them away along with me! But it wasn't just that, you can't begin to imagine the horrible things you subjected me to by trapping in this cursed prison!" She then transported them to a setting which displayed Norvagen's ancient past, to their amazement.

 **(Flashback)**

"Years later, I found myself in a new world, one where both monsters and humans lived together. However, the relationships between both sides were far from peaceful." The scene shifted to when the humans and monsters were at war for over what seemed like millennia. She had watched the gruelling battles from deep within the sea, where the stone slate lay, with complete disgust. "The clashes were brutal and both sides suffered immense losses, eventually I had enough and so after managing to harness enough energy from within myself I ended the war myself." She had managed to achieve just enough to project her astral form and then used it to end the fighting peacefully. After witnessing her power first hand, all before her began to submit to her might and power, even as much as to worship her as a goddess!

A covenant was made, where as long as both human and monster coasted peacefully, she would continue to bestow upon them boundless wisdom, knowledge and protection. Thus the seed for Norvagen's foundation had been planted, born from the bonds both sides forged between each other. "For a time I began to forget about my horrible imprisonment if I could watch over and care for this paradise as its' goddess." She said as she recalled the bright warmth and smiles from all she laid eyes upon when they came before her seal, giving her offering and praise. As the years passed and both people and monsters advanced and grew, the kingdom of Norvagen was born. At that time, a certain man had been elected to be the leader of the newly created civilisation, for his faith, trust and loyalty to Leviathan's commands were unmatched by no one else. And his name, was Avalon.

"Sadly however it didn't last long." The setting shift to the night when the monsters went completely berserk and out of control without warning! A dark aura, which only Leviathan herself could see had actually covered the monsters unbeknownst to their human allies. "One day a horrible dark spell fell upon the kingdom without warning or cause. It drove every single duel monster mad with rage and hatred, and because of that so many lives were lost and the peaceful ties shared between monster and human, which took so long to build, we immediately erased. I had no idea of its origin, and my power did little to nothing in order to quell its dark influence on all the innocent monsters. And because of that, all of Norvagen's people immediately abandoned their faith in me reverted back to using their old ways of violent control." The scene shifted to when the knights battled against the rampaging monsters with anger and hatred similar to the wars that occurred years before then. After a period of bloodshed, it was then ended by the actions of a certain man who used a magic staff to imprison the monsters in stone. "For many moons I witnessed countless innocent monsters being captured and sealed away in those wretched stone tablets like I had, it was enough to make me lose nearly all my faith in humanity like they did in me, and in the bonds they once shared with the monsters they coexisted with for so long ago." (Only a single person, the princess of the Norvagen kingdom still retained her faith in Leviathan, as she had continued to pray hard in secret to her, even when it amounted to nothing)

Bahamut and the others looked on in disbelief at the sight of what really happened before, "Make no mistake, underneath the facade of peace you see before you this world has grown awfully cold. The love and faith it once had for its monsters and me is long gone. Now Norvagen has become a kingdom of monster cruelty, where no monster was safe from the persecution of man's cold heart…." Leviathan continued as a manticore of darkness was being whipped mercilessly by a Monster Tamer while being restrained in an iron cage, it roared in anger and pain until it had no choice but to submit to the tamer's cruel master who laughed and sneered at it mockingly. "While the strongest and most powerful were either sealed away for eternity out of fear, or even tortured in prison-like conditions in order to break their spirit, others were shunned by the world or even ridiculed by arrogant people due to being weak or useless." On the streets while nobles and wealthier folk went out their daily business they turned a blind eye towards a dirty and starving outstanding dog marron trying desperately to scavenge for leftovers along the road side. Along with its owners Unhappy girl and Unhappy maiden who were kicked out horribly of a nearby store by a goblin of greed, when they tried to beg for food scraps or spare change.

 **(Present)**

With that the space reverted back to their original settings as they could only look on utterly speechless in the face of such an outrageous discovery. "Leviathan…." Bahamut said disheartedly, "I…I'm sorry. I can't possibly imagine what it must have been like for you all those years."

Leviatahn immediately opened her eyes and glared at them ferociously! "Of course you couldn't! You have no idea what it's like to see a paradise turn into pandemonium before my eyes and be completely and utterly helpless to do anything at all!" she roared, "And when I believed my torment couldn't get any more worse than it already had, you now dare to show yourselves before me! Seeing you four immediately reminded me of the ones responsible for my anguish! It's because of you, I could do nothing but watch this entire world grow ever more cold to its precious monsters!" Her stone tablet immediately glowed dark blue as waves of energy sent shockwaves through the entire dimensional space!

"Gargh! Such tremendous power!" Bahamut gasped in alarm as he tried desperately to hold his ground, digging in his heels at where he stood!

"Wh…what's happening!?" Jormangandr growled as he began to panic at the entire quaking forces which shook the ground.

"I don't know! But whatever it is….it isn't going to be pretty…." Fafnir followed as she and Tiamat struggled to hold their balance in mid air!

"Leave! Never return again!" Immediately Leviathan's anger rose to tremendous heights that it conjured up a powerful wind and maelstrom, the rains fell upon them all with full force and each drop struck with the force nearly equivalent to a tidal wave! Eventually the collected water began building up into a monstrous flood!

SHRIEK!

"This is getting crazy!" Tiamat cried as she felt herself getting overpowered against the heavy wind and rain, as a result crashed straight to the ground and was nearly knocked unconscious. Jormangandr was much more durable though even he was beginning to experience the full pressure from the continued falling rain! The incoming waters from the monsoon floods did;t make his position any better!

Fafnir had it the most difficult to stay airborne in the water and wind, eventually relaising that staying here a second longer would be pure insanity! "We've got to go now! Everyone fall back!" Jormangandr and Tiamat nodded as they began to regroup with her, but then looked on in bewilderment when they saw one dragon didn't join them, "Bahamut!?"

"Argh!" he growled as his eyes hardened and he folded wings and arms in front of him, blocking off as much as he could, "You all go, I'm staying here!" he roared.

They couldn't believe what they just heard, either he did;t hear what Fafnir said or he had lost his mind, "What!? Are you insane!? You'll get yourself destroyed if you stay!"

"I don't care!" he retorted, "I'd rather perish trying to save Leviathan from her tempestuous anger rather than flee and never see her again! I spent too long searching for her, if i turn back now i could never look at myself again! I'm seeing this through if it kills me!" he roared as he began to push hard against the torrential rain and water.

The others then looked on amazed at his sheer determination, which from their perspective had grown a hundred fold, "Tch! I don't whether to call that determination, stubbornness or plain stupidity…" Fafnir growled in annoyance.

"Heh, knowing you I'd have to say all of the above." Tiamat snickered in amusement.

"In that case, we'll stay too!" Jormangandr roared as he and the others denied their own fears and wellbeing, pushing on behind Bahamut, "We've got your back brother! Like how you would give up yourself for others, we shall do the same for you!" Jormangandr followed as the rest of them stood firm in their place against the howling blizzard and cold winds!

After seeing the same determination being reflected in their eyes Bahamut smiled knowing he wasn't alone, and that further ignited the passion within his heart. "Then let's see this through together!" he roared as they continued to push against the winds. They pressed on hard as they continued fighting hard against the incoming snow, hail and sleet, "Leviathan!" Bahamut roared as she came into sight and she snarled aggressively, "You've got this all wrong! And you can do whatever you want to me, sink me into the abyss, imprison me in ice, subject me to endless solitude, but I swear! I'm not leaving you! Not ever again!"

"It's far too late for your pathetic apologies! Now freeze for all eternity! Then you all will suffer what I suffered!" she shrieked as her powers intensified even more so, making her earlier attack look more like a minor snow fall.

Bahamut dug in his toe claws as the harsh frigid winds began to much him further back, even covering his front with his arms and wings did little to protect him. Bits of frost and ice began to form around him but he continued to press on, "Can't give up…not after finally…"

"Be gone!" with another surge of energy, a wave of cold energy flooded the space which instantly transformed the maelstrom into a powerful freezing snowstorm, making its' previous stage look like a mere shower of rain!

"This is crazy!"

"I knew this was a bad idea!"

"We've come this far, we can't-ARGH!" In a flash, Tiamat, Fafnir and Jormangandr were overcome by the cold and immediately were frozen solid in a complete encasing of diamond like ice crystals!

"NO!" Bahamut gasped in horror at seeing his siblings imprisoned before his eyes before turning back towards the source of it all, Leviathan.

"You're next traitor!" Leviathan roared as she focused all her rage, pain and sorrow at the remaining dragon who stood against her!

The icy winds began to overwhelm Bahamut, he could even feel his blood begin to turn cold due to the frigid air. But he refused to let his physical weakness stop him, even for a second, "This has to end now…" he growled defiantly as he continued to press on through the snow and sleet, despite having shards of ice beginning to form around his body, wings and scales. Finally, mustering every last ounce of power remaining inside of him, "Leviathan! STOP!" Bahamut roared as he flared his wings and unleashed a powerful wave of energy which cancelled out the incoming blizzard and immediately freeing his siblings from their icy prisons!

"Brrr! Thanks brother." Jormangandr groaned weakly as he slowly collapsed on the ground having been drained of his energy by the cold.

"A little longer then I would have been a permanent dragonsicle…." Tiamat shivered as she slumped over and Fafnir feeling the exact same way, as she tried to recover whatever little body heat she could with her folded wings.

Leviathan's eyes widened in shock at the sudden event, "He…stopped my freezing blizzard attack? With his sheer will alone? The only way he could have done so if his resolve had the flames of purity and strength….."

"Leviathan…" Bahamut said weakly as he staggered towards her stone tablet, "I know you won't believe I would say, and I don't blame you for harbouring such bitter feelings towards me and the rest of us." he said before coming to a stop before mustering enough energy to stand more upright, "But heed what I say, I honestly would have come to seek you out after the original dimension was divided….but…"

"But what?" Leviathan asked angrily.

"You see…..much has happened since that night, after our battle with Supreme King Dragon Zarc, alongside Ray and Master Dahaka." he gasped exhausted, "But, I will tell you what transpired since then." He then desperately tried to explain to the raging water dragon about how the Original Dimension had been torn apart into 4 worlds immediately after Zarc fell at the hands of both Ray and Dahaka, and how they each were separated from their master into the 4 worlds, and were tasked with the duty of maintaining the balance between the 4 worlds and to ensure they stay separated. "I honestly would have searched you out if Dahaka had been able to grant enough power too, but we could only maintain watch over the 4 worlds form our spirit realm homes at the time due to his final wishes. This was all done to ensure that Zarc would never return to exact his revenge and finish his task to destroy everything." Bahamut continued as his former lover could do little to hold back her inner feelings of sadness.

"Is that it? You honestly expect me to believe you? After how you betrayed me how can I possibly believe anything you'll say!?" Leviathan roared unconvinced and still just as furious.

"Because I'd never actually hurt anyone intentionally. Especially you." Bahamut replied sincerely to which she realised, causing her to calm down and the freezing tension in the air slowly disappeared. Tiamat, Jormangnadr and Fafnir held back their positions and decided that Bahamut should be the one to settle this, and remained alert to when he may need help from them. He then held out his hand and began to materialise something inside out of light, it took form and soon revealed itself as a sparkling blue gem, which immediately caught the sea dragon's eye. "Remember this?"

"Th…that's-" Her eyes widened in astonishment

 **(Flashback)**

Ever since the day she was found and extracted from a stone slate, which Dahaka had discovered while traversing the cold frontiers of the polar sea, Leviathan was able to bond well with the dragons in his arsenal. However, the one she had trusted more than any other was Bahamut himself. It was love at first sight when they first met and they cherished each other's presence deeply since then.

One evening before the day Dahaka returned to the city, Bahamut and Leviathan were perched above a tall jagged cliff and were watching the sun setting over the blue waters of the sea. The vast spectrum of colours given off in its fading orange light across the ocean's surface was a truly captivating moment for the 2 dragons, "I would really love to see the outside world one day." Leviathan said to Bahamut as they gazed over the horizon, "But I just don't know if I'll ever get the chance." she then added lowering her head feeling discouraged.

"I'll take you there Leviathan." Bahamut said to her after that.

"Really?" she asked turning to him, "You…you will?"

"I promise, Leviathan. We'll see everything the world has to offer, together." Bahamut said firmly to her as he lowered his head to her own, "You have my word that I'll never abandon nor forsake you. We'll never be separated and I swear to stay by your side forever to the end of time."

Feeling a stream of warmth flow through her heart, "I'll hold you to that promise….My love." A breeze of cool, moist wind then blew from her and then collected before the 2 of them. It then compressed into a single shape and took form as a transparent blue gem, which she then entrusted to Bahamut, "This is proof of your promise and may you never forget it."

 **(Present)**

"Since that day I have kept this precious crystal which you bestowed upon me as my most prized possession and treasure. I have never let it out of my sight nor forgotten about you, Leviathan." Bahamut said firmly.

"Bahamut….You really haven't changed at all." said Leviathan unable to speak back.

Fafnir began to shed a tear at this moment while Tiamat and Jormangandr were much less able to contain their emotional feelings on the sidelined. "If you still hold a grudge against our master, then allow me to inform you that there's more to that seal than you first imagine. Master Dahaka told us himself too." Bahamut began to reveal, "It wasn't you who was weak or lacking in power, it was Master Dahaka himself!"

"He…..really said that?" the water dragon asked. The other dragons held back and said nothing, leaving everything to Bahamut.

Bahamut nodded, "Not just that, he completely admitted it as his own fault and weakness. In fact you were meant to be a key weapon in defeating Supreme King dragon Zarc, but….I'm sure you remember, no mater how hard he tried Dahaka himself could not master your full power." Hearing that she then recalled how many times he tried to use her but she ended up being too powerful to handle, and as a result he even bore injuries and scars time and again during training. "Because of that, he feared that his weakness and incomplete mastery of ritual would end up becoming his own undoing if he were to duel Zarc. So….he felt it would be best that you be kept safe otherwise he wouldn't be able to protect you from harm." He said softly before looking down to the stone seal, "As proof he really did care about you, that tablet you're locked in can only be opened by a worthy, duelist not just adept in the power of ritual summoning, but only one of pure heart and soul. The very kind of duelist Master Dahaka originally sought out to be but failed to become." he said referring to the prophecy that was encrypted on the base of the stone (Let one whose soul is as pure as the most tranquil and peaceful of waters, as well as carrying the powerful strength of the great blizzard, may the ritual to free the dragon who sleeps in stone be made known). "If you still don't believe me even after all that, then I'll prove to you." he said as he walked up to her, "Feel it yourself, search inside my heart and you'll find the truth. May it thaw your heart from the prison of cold anger and bitterness you were subjected to." He said as he placed his claw upon the face of the tablet.

Looking at it, Leviathan still harboured some level of distrust but after seeing the sincerity in Bahamut's eyes she conceded, "Very well Bahamut, I'll see for myself if you speak the truth to me." she said as she lowered her head to his palm. A bright light shone from that point, as a psychic connection formed between the 2 dragons and Bahamut began to transfer a portion of his memories and revealed to her his side of the story she believed in.

 **(Flashback)**

This all happened right after Dahaka had left Ray and Leo Akaba, and had prepared to face Zarc at the tower. However, he still had a few doubts about a certain member of his team and began to discuss his plan to Bahamut, his most trusted partner. "Master, you can't-"

"This isn't a decision I enjoy making Bahamut!" Dahaka cried out in response and tearing bitterly, "Do you really think that I can go through with sealing away an irreplaceable member of our family and not feel anything for her or what she may go through!?" he yelled which was something unexpected from the great dragon by his side, "I'm worried about us facing off against Zarc and I know that we'll need every edge we can get, but….I'm far more worried about Leviathan." Dahaka sniffed while wiping his eyes, "I haven't been able to fully master ritual summoning, the only weapon I know that may surely have an effect on Zarc. But with him approaching us in a matter of moments and with the fate of the world resting on this one shot, we just don't have the time anymore." He then turned to Bahamut and looked at him face to face, "And you know Leviathan just as much me. She'd insist on going through with the way things are, but…I can't take that chance, if we were to enter battle now, I won't be able to protect her from harm unlike the rest of you. I refuse to make any more needless sacrifices then there have been since Zarc's attack."

"Master…." Bahamut said with a heavy heart understanding his master's pure love and care for him and his family, "Even with such high stakes you're choosing to everyone else's wellbeing above your own. But…."

Dahaka then lowered his head slightly, "I know you and Leviathan share quite a history during our travels and I truly respect that, but…if anything were to happen to her….I'm certain neither you nor I could never forgive ourselves." He then dialled a code on his duel disk which caused a blue stone slate to erupt from the ground, which was similar to the one he originally extracted Leviathan from, only this one was created by himself and the powers of the other dragons, "This is the last thing I can do help her, and even if she were to hate us for all eternity for it, as long as she survives that is enough for me. Although, if someday you do manage to meet her again," Dahaka then looked up with firm resolve, "Promise me if you ever get the chance to apologise to her on my behalf, you'll do it."

"You have my word master." Bahamut bowed with his heart no longer wavering, "I'll….send for her right away." He then focused his mind and sent out a telepathic message, summoning his beloved and 3 other siblings to the spot where they stood.

 **(Present)**

As the light dissipated, Leviathan brought her head away from her treasured lover's palm and staggered back at the staggering revelation, "Bahamut….." she gasped as she regained her consciousness and opened her eyes, "I….I…I honestly…had no idea….you really cared for me all that much?"

"I do, I swear it." Bahamut replied, "Everything we've done has been has always been in our best interests at heart, I went along with Master Dahaka's plan because I couldn't bear to see you hurt most of all. In fact, watching him seal you away made my heart shatter into countless pieces. I kept telling myself it was all to protect you, hoping that it was for the greater good and in a futile attempt to bury the pieces of my heart away in my memories." he said lowering his head and placing his arm against his chest, "But now I see that even for the right reasons, it won't justify the pain and suffering you endured since then. In fact if I had a choice I would willingly sealed myself with you, even if it would be for an eternity, at least I'll keep that promise I made to you on that day…." Hearing this, Fafnir and the rest of Bahamut's siblings felt deeply impacted by his devotion and love, and could say nothing in return, knowing that interrupting ruin the precious moment would be unforgivable.

"You…you idiot!" Leviathan suddenly shrieked with tears falling down from her eyes like heavy raindrops, "You should have said something to me! We may have been able to work out a solution to this! Or I may not have had to harbour such hateful emotions inside me for so many years!" She wept before looking towards Bahamut, "But….at least I now understand the truth behind it all…."

"Leviathan…Never again will I ever hurt you." Both dragons then brought their heads down to one another, only separated by the wall of the tablet that the ritual dragon sealed inside, but even so, they never felt closer.

Despite the momentous and heartfelt reunion, Tiamat decided to enlighten her old friend about the events that transpired in her absence noticing she had no idea of it, "If you think you've had it hard Leviathan, we each suffered in our own way as well as you have seen through the dimensional war." Tiamat interrupted deciding to speak up.

"D…Dimensional war?"

Bahamut then turned to his sister, "Tiamat wa-"

"No Bahamut." she replied sternly facing him, "She has to know what's been going on outside of her prison, everything that happened since we were separated. Only then will she truly understand what you suffered without her to support you."

"Hmmm….Perhaps you're right….It's about time she knew." he replied admittingly.

Leviathan then looked to and from Bahamut and the other dragon guardians in confusion, "Bahamut? What is it you are all talking about?"

They all turned towards her, "We all have something to tell you." Bahamut said feeling ready to give her the news, "Ever since you were trapped here you've been kept in the dark about events happening outside your dimension's boundaries. Much has changed and much has happened to the world and us since then."

"It may take a while to explain every single detail though. We each have our own story to tell after all, you know, there being 4 dimensions and what not." Fafnir stated beforehand.

"I've been here for what felt like centuries, an hour or two of stories is perfectly tolerable for me." Leviathan replied interested to hear what they have to say to her.

"Well then, sit down and let us start from the beginning. Brace yourself for this may blow you away stronger than the cold you used on us in your tempest tantrum just now."

And then each of them began to fill their long lost friend in about everything she had missed since her disappearance and separation from their group. From the splitting of the four dimensions and how they each met with a member of Dhaka's counterparts, bonding with them overtime. Then the events that sparked the inter dimensional war and all the battles they waged across the dimensions and against Academia, which ironically accelerated the return of Supreme Dragon King Zarc. Fortunately his return was short lived as thanks to the apparent revival of Ray and Dahaka, his threat had been neutralised once and for all and the 4 worlds were united through the bright duelling of the now reborn counterparts of the originals, who originally broke the world apart in their first ever battle.

"Despite what we did manage to accomplish…I still deeply regret being responsible for deliberately putting everything in existence at risk once again….all for my own selfish ambitions." Tiamat said regretfully as she was reminded of being the core cause of the war and Zarc's imminent return.

"The war had taught us many things from the 4 worlds we were separated into, and they made us stronger. Strong enough to finally break Zarc's cycle of hatred and bring everlasting peace to all 4 dimensions, or make it 5, now that we know the existence of the ritual dimension." Jormangnadr concluded as Leviathan became so shocked that she was rendered nearly speechless.

"I had no idea….what you all went through in my absence." Leviathan gasped, "I…I am sorry for your transgressions and everything you endured, and I am thankful as well that the battle against that vile demon is finally over for good now." she said relieved and gratefully, "But still how…how could I have not known, nor you been able to know about the existence of the ritual dimension for all this time?"

Fafnir, being the dragon of Dahaka's wisdom and intellect, then decided to put her deduction and intuition skills to their highest as she began thinking it over and sure enough she managed to come up with a possible theory, "If I were to guess, the reason why we weren't able to detect any presence of ritual was that it was created from both your power and what little remnants of Dahaka's when he sealed you in the stone, since Zarc and Ray possessed no ritual power. Which no doubt happened right after their battle had ripped the dimensions into four, but in the process your energy was also split away in the process and that created the ritual dimension as an unintended side effect. Further more it existed as a world which rested on the opposite side of standard, and acted like a sister dimension or flip side of a coin. Compared to the other 4 dimensions who each had pieces of our master, Ray and Zarc it's presence was well shielded since it practically acted as if part of the standard dimension itself. As well as for the fact that ritual wasn't a very common summoning method even in the original dimension so its power was quite limited…no offence."

"None taken." Leviathan replied, "I suppose you are right though, ritual wasn't always the most popular or favourable method as few had the patience to wait for the proper summoning conditions for the right monster. Odds of acquiring both the needed ritual spell and monster are small and very few have the patience to wait for that moment to arrive."

"Also, I think I understand now, why there was a distortion in the pendulum dimension which lead to this world." Fafnir continued as they turned to her as she began to speak out another one of her carefully constructed theories, "A while back when Ryuga duelled against Yuya at that very spot, they clashed together with 8 dragons, each of the 4 main summoning types. My guess, is that the combined powers of the 8 dragons must have been slowly accumulating in that very place overtime, and with the ritual dimension being so intricately close to pendulum, it was eventually able to erode the boundaries between both of them."

"And you used that window of opportunity to send a cry for help, the moment you sensed it, didn't you? Using whatever little power you could muster you manage to drive in a wedge made from ritual energy so you could finally open a hole between the worlds." Jormangandr asked, "You were hoping that anyone it would reach would come to save ritual dimension from its own mistakes."

"But frankly, I believe you were hoping it would reach one of us wasn't it?" Tiamat added after thinking it over clearly, "More specifically Bahamut. Hee hee you truly are a lucky dragon aren't you?" she replied with a slight teasing grin to her brother who tilted his head away, "Trying to reach synchro, fusion or xyz would have been out of the question for your limited power, so your best bet was to call help from the dimension which existed right next to yours."

"What makes you so sure of that? I gave up on anyone trying to save the ritual dimension and me long ago." Leviathan replied.

"If you truly had given up on me, us or anyone else you wouldn't have sent out that message through the distortion from here, by adding ritual energy to that imbalance in order to create that distortion." Bahamut answered, "You were hoping someone in the other dimensions would receive your cry for help and come to investigate, and when they found you, they would help save you and your home from itself."

"You…..really do know me that well…my love." she said with a weak but very warm smile in response to her lover's pinpoint deduction.

"I truly am sorry for everything I have done, and for wronging you. If master Dahaka was here I'm certain he would feel the same." Bahamut apologised lowering his head.

"No Bahamut, it's I who should be" Leviathan interrupted feeling remorseful, "I should have believed in you! No matter what! I gave into my inner anger and loneliness in this world and ended up accusing you and Dahaka of intending making me suffer. I even ended up becoming cold to this world causing it to lose its way because of my own selfish emotions… But I now understand completely what was in your hearts that day, and for that, I deeply apologise for my accusations, and thank you for protecting me all those years."

"That truly eases my soul Leviathan, I deeply thank you from the bottom of my heart." he replied feeling more at peace with himself, "We promise to never betray your trust ever again, and I promise to free you by any means necessary. If we can get back home first that is."

She then looked up at them all, "Get back? You mean….you're trapped here?"

"Unfortunately yes," Tiamat answered, "When we heard about the distortion occurring at pendulum, we came here hoping to find new people and life to study on behalf of the 4 dimensions, as well as determine of any possible threats of another inter dimensional war or worse, another demon like Zarc. We had no idea we would actually find you of all….not to mention the scope of what we were actually dealing with…."

"Had we had known exactly what we were about to find while coming here, we would have better prepared ourselves with both equipment and allies." Bahamut said, "As of now we are basically stuck here until we can get back home."

"But since you're the goddess or should we say…guardian of this dimension, we were hoping that you'd be able to open the dimensional portal out of ritual so we can get home and maybe find some powerful ritual duelists with pure hearts to take you in as their own." Fafnir suggested

"I believe your words everyone, and I am thankful that you also forgive me for ever doubting you." Leviathan said before swallowing hard, "I also hope you can forgive me but, I am unable to send you all back as I am now."

"Wh…what!?" They gasped together in alarmed.

"You can't open the dimensional gate of ritual!?"

"You can't be serious!"

"I'm afraid so," she replied feeling regretful, "You see Master Dahaka didn't just seal me within stone, he also unintentionally sealed away most of my powers in the process, so I'm afraid opening a portal is out of my league for the moment." She said lowering her head in disappointment, "Only a worthy human partner will be able to release all my powers to their fullest potential. I suppose it was his way of ensuring I wouldn't fall into the wrong hands, and I hold no grudge against him now that I know the truth. Once again let me say how deeply sorry I am to disappoint you all my friends…."

"You have nothing to be sorry for Leviathan," Bahamut interrupted, "Surely you cannot be held responsible for our current predicament.

"Sigh…Well guys, it would seem we're stuck here until we can find Leviathan a worthy and able partner to set her free." Tiamat said realising we all may be stuck much longer than they initially expected.

Bahamut then brought his finger right to his chin, "With so many people already accustomed to the power of ritual in this dimension, finding one with the necessary skill and ability won't be hard. However, with the way everyone seeing monsters a savage, wild and untameable creatures, finding one with the pure crystal clear soul and connection will be most challenging." he thought to himself carefully. Before he could put more thought into their next move-

"I sense a duel taking place, Ryuga would need our help it seems." Fafnir said out loud as the sensation of their master taking part in a battle came over them.

"It just had to be now…." Tiamat sighed, "Just when we were about to come up with a full-proof plan to get back home."

"There'll be many more opportunities for that Tiamat." Bahamut assured her before turning to Leviathan, "My dear-"

"Go on Bahamut, your master clearly needs you." Leviathan said to them insistingly, "I have lived here in this seal for what seems like an eternity, and I can handle myself alone just fine." she said comforting her former lover and then opening a small doorway back to the ritual dimension from the space they were in.

The other dragons nodded before stepping out with a few parting words each, "See you soon Leviathan."

"Take care, don't go losing your cool and freezing anyone who comes before you. That just doesn't suit you in the slightest."

"You're not alone anymore, when you need us most we shall be there for you."

Bahamut was the last to leave the area. Before he stepped out he then turned back towards the stone seal, "We'll be back for you soon Leviathan, I promise just like the 4 dimensions, we'll save you and your world no matter how long it takes." he said as he followed his siblings out of the secret chamber.

"Goodbye my love, take care and may fortune smile upon you." Leviathan said softly as her age old friends disappeared from sight one by one from her eyes.

 **Well there's chapter 7 which I decided to use as a background chapter for the ritual dimension and Leviathan, took a really long time to finish. Hope you enjoyed it well and that it ties in with the main plot I used for both the anime and my previous story. Stay tuned for chapter 8 till next time. As usual I am open to feedback about my chapter's plot and dialogue and always open to new ideas and reviews.**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

As the field spell Crossover enveloped the surrounding glade to the amazement of the duel spirit spectators, 5 card slates erupted from the ground in front of Ikuchi which symbolised her hand.

"Ready to duel Ikuchi?" I asked.

"I haven't been more ready in a long time!" She said feeling determined and clutching her 2 fists together tightly in excitement.

I then nodded acknowledging her challenge, "Alright, now let's-"

"Hold it!" A voice suddenly interrupted. We then turned around to the direction of the voices.

"Oh guys it's you." I replied seeing my 4 dragons either descending from the sky or charging through the forest path. At the sight of all 4 dragons, the other duel spirits couldn't help but look on in awe and in reverence to their incredible power.

"Sorry we took so long Ryuga." Fafnir apologised, "It took us much longer than we first anticipated but all that matters is that we're here now."

I then turned my attention to a certain member of the group, "I see you found Bahamut, would you mind telling me where you all were just now? I'd appreciate it if you could tell me why you went off without telling us."

"Ummm well," he then scratched his head trying to think of a reasonable excuse, which was hard since he was terrible liar, "We were just catching up….in private."

"Catching up? What is it you're not telling me?" I asked suspiciously with a raised eyebrow.

Noticing her siblings starting to get nervous at their master's vigilance, Tiamat then smirked seeing that it was on her to bail them out, looking around for a decent distraction to shift everyone off topic she then laid eyes upon a night which was perfect as well as surprising her in the process, "Oh my, a duel against the princess?" she suddenly interrupted hoping to distract me and make me forget about my questioning of Bahamut. "A very interesting turn of events."

"Oh! Umm yes that's right!" I said reacting to her on the spot, "Hey Ikuchi, I'd like you to meet my most trusted partners. Bahamut, Fafnir, Jormangandr and Tiamat!" After I introduced them, they each did a respectful bow before her.

"It's an honour to be in your presence your highness." Bahamut greeted.

"Oh the honour is all mine. But you may drop the formalities, we're all equals here so there's no need to be so formal." Ikuchi replied with a bright smile. "Also you all seem to be really close." she added looking at all of us together and noting who we interacted.

"Yup, we're all inseparable just like family! Always looking out for one another and having each others' backs when we need it, just like family back home." I said proudly, "But enough about that, we came here to duel and now it's time to get it underway!" They then disappeared inside my deck as I prepared to duel.

"Alright then, let's keep thing fair and may the best duelist win." Ikuchi replied.

Meanwhile inside the deck, "Hey hee! This should prove most entertaining and amusing, finally something to do!" Tiamat giggled in anticipation of a spectacular duel, she had been bored out of her mind being on the castle almost all day long and it was great to see battle and have some fresh air and be surrounded by nature for a change.

Her siblings then walked up to her, which she took notice of, "I don't normally say this but…." Jormangandr then swallowed his pride at having to acknowledge such a devious trick, "Thanks for bailing us out Tiamat. I don't know what we would have done if you weren't here for us." Bahamut was the one most thankful as he then nodded gratefully.

"It's no problem," she smiled, "I cherish family after all, so it's natural I'd do something like this once in a while."

"Good to know we can rely on you for a change dear sister." Fafnir replied.

"Hey hee," she then grinned deviously, "Just don't forget you guys owe me." she then sang while they all sweat dropped, figuring there would be a catch in it all.

Meawhile back at the duel, we were ready to throw down, "Hey Ikuchi," I said out loud, "I won't be holding back in this duel, so you better be prepared to face my partners at their full strength!"

"I wouldn't have it any other way! You can be sure I'll put in every fibre of my being into this match no matter who I face!" she replied prepared to face down her first ever official challenge and duel in her life.

DUEL!

 **Ryuga: 4000**

 **Ikuchi: 4000**

"You may have the first move, ladies first." I suggested to Ikuchi politely.

"Aww how sweet of you." she replied before shaking her head, "But really, since I challenged you I think it's fair you go first. Infact, I insist as princess of Norvagen." She said sounding as if she was issuing a decree.

"Hahaha. Well, if you put it that way I guess that means I can't refuse." I laughed scratching my head joyfully, "Oh and to be fair, I won't use any action cards during this duel, that should keep things fairly even."

"My how sporting of you." she replied.

Back in my deck my dragons looked on, "They seem to be getting along just fine don't you think?" Jormangandr suggested.

"Isn't that just delightful?" Ffnir thought feeling her heart warmed at the sight of youthful energy and passion.

"Yes…indeed." Bahamut said as he continued to observant vigilantly.

Meanwhile I took no notice of my friends talking behind my back, as I was busy observing my hand carefully, before noticing a useful combo I could put together, "I'll begin my turn by summoning masked dragon in attack mode!" I called out as the red and white dragon appeared on the field with a low growl, "Then I'll activate the graceful charity spell card! Now I'm allowed to draw 3 cards as long as I discard 2 after that." I drew and discarded just the cards I wanted, "I now place a card facedown and end my turn."

"My turn! I draw!" Ikuchi declared as a new card slate erupted from the ground.

"Hey Ikuchi!" I called out suddenly before she could proceed, "I bet you're probably eager to show me some of your moves, but before you do so I'll quickly use your standby phase to activate the special ability of my arkbrave dragon in the graveyard!

"Huh!?" she was caught completely by surprise, "You can do that!? Also when-" She then realised, "Wait, don't tell me that was the card you discarded using your spell earlier?"

"You catch on pretty quickly," I replied praising her observance, "During the standby phase of the next turn after it was sent there, I'm allowed to select a level 7 or 8 dragon type monster also in my graveyard and special summon it!" A card ejected from my graveyard, "And I choose my level 8 phantom dragon! Which as you can guess was the second card I discarded with graceful charity a turn ago!" The cloud like dragon rose from the graveyard like the ghost it resembled!

"You….planned this from the start of your turn didn't you?" she realised, "Wow, you're even greater than I first thought." she thought to herself inside.

"Yup! But that's not all! I'll now activate the quick play spell known as Adamantine sword revival!" I called out revealing the facedown I had set, "When a dragon type monster has been special summoned from the graveyard, by tributing it I can special summon Diamond head dragon in its place straight from my deck in attack mode!" Phantom dragon exploded into sparkles before joining back together in a massive green dragon with crystal scales. "Diamond head's attack points become equal to the attack points of the tributed dragon +1000! So now he gains a total of 3300 points!" The spirit of Phantom dragon went into diamond head as it glowed with its power boost!

 **?-3300**

"Oh my…." Ikuchi was surprised to see me muster a dragon with over 3000 points during her turn, before narrowing her eyes seriously, "But still, it'll take more than that to scare me!" She then picked out a card slate, "First I activate the spell Moray of Greed!" The card slate flipped forward and glowed, "By shuffling 2 water monsters from my hand into my deck I can then exchange them for 3 new card slates!" 2 of her slates were absorbed into the ground, "I return Giant red sea snake and sea king dragon to my deck and draw!" 3 new slates erupted from the ground. She then smirked at what she had, "It's time for a little change in scenery. I play A legendary Ocean!" She then quickly leapt up a number of platforms, as the spell flipped forward and generated a large wave of water which began to cover the entire field to my alarm!

"Oh man…." I gasped as the huge wave approached me rapidly, luckily my masked dragon was quick enough to fly me right above the water while the other spirits took shelter in the trees or high above in the air. Soon the glade became more like a lake than a field, with it being submerged in water! "Next time a little heads up would be appreciated!" I cried as masked dragon dropped me off at a platform. It then flew back to the lower levels of the field alongside diamond head dragon.

"Hahaha! Sorry to scare you like that, I'll keep that in mind next time." she chuckled, "As for my field spell, while it remains active the levels of all water monsters on the field and in our hands are reduced by 1! Also they each gain 200 attack and defence points."

"That doesn't sound good…" I thought at her field's effects, "With that out she'll be able to summon high levelled monsters more easily, not to mention they'll all get a power boost from the field. Talk about terrain advantage and shifting the odds in your favour."

"You are correct Ryuga, and now I activate the continuos spell known as water hazard!" A second card flipped forward and it made the ocean's waves become more choppy and violent. As long as this stays face up, I can special summon 1 water monster from my hand once per turn, as long as I control no monsters first. And with it I'll special summon Sea Serpent warrior of darkness!" A large wave whipped up from the ocean below me and emerging from the water was an armoured sea warrior!

 **1800-2000**

"Next I summon the dragon dwelling in the deep in attack mode!" A water dragon then shot out of the sea and then landed back in with a large splash before resurfacing again.

 **1700-1900**

"You're summoning monsters in attack mode despite the presence of my diamond head dragon being out?" I questioned.

"I'm well aware of your powerful beast Ryuga, but, what you didn't know was that you have a weaker a monster in attack mode that I can take advantage of with an attack!" she declared fearlessly making her intentions known, "Go my deep dwelling dragon! Attack and destroy his masked dragon!" The water dragon snarled before diving under water and becoming practically invisible underneath the dark blue waters! Masked dragon anxiously looked around before being surprised from underneath, as deep dragon struck out and pulled it under water!

 **Ryuga: 4000-3500**

"Not bad Ikuchi, and thanks for taking my bait!" I called out.

Her eyes widened, "Huh!? What do you mean!?"

"You triggered my masked dragon's special ability! You see if it's sent to the graveyard due to a battle, I can summon a dragon type monster from my deck with 1500 or fewer attack points! So I think I'll call up another masked dragon!" A second red and white dragon appeared in the first one's place curled up on the water surface in defence mode.

"In that case my sea serpent warrior of darkness will have to do something about it! Go Depth Trident!" The water warrior let out a battle cry as it threw its weapon like a spear which then pierced my dragon and caused it to explode!

"Once again my dragon's special ability activates! This time however taking its place will be the level 8 Parsec the Interstellar dragon!" In my masked dragon's place rose the insect like dragon with 800 defence points.

"Level 8!?" Ikuchi took a step back, "If that's true then, next turn the conditions are met for an xyz summon right?"

"Wow, you actually remembered from my previous match." I commented impressed that she remembered.

"That's right, how could I possibly forget seeing an all new and powerful summoning method, alongside those other two…what were they called again? Fusion, synchro and….pendulum was it?"

"Why…yes that's right." I replied not knowing how to respond to her, "And you challenged me yet knowing I could employ all those summoning tactics and powers against you?"

"I want to challenge you at your best, if I don't beat you that way I won't be proving myself! However, unlike my attackers in the woods, I'll be more than ready for whatever you throw at me!" Ikuchi declared confidently as she laid 2 facedowns and ended her turn.

"We'll see." I replied, "It's my draw!" I then drew a new card.

Ikuchi then spoke out, "Now that it has reached the standby phase, my dragon dwelling in the deep's effect activates! Now I can place an ocean counter on him!" A set of scales lit up on Ikuchi's sea dragon.

"Ocean counter? What's that do?" I asked curiously.

"It's simple really." she replied, "If my dragon ever leaves the field, all my other fish and sea serpent monsters will gain 200 attack and defence points for every counter he had on him until the end of that turn. So even if you do manage to take him out, if you take too long it'll only make my other monsters stronger!" She explained confidently.

I then chuckled, "You're planning to get payback for that last turn aren't you? Well then, I'll just have to change that with this!" I then took a spell from my hand, "I play card of sanctity! With it we each draw until we have 6 cards in our hand." We both then drew and replenished our hands.

"That's very helpful of you." Ikuchi thanked.

"I wouldn't want either of us to be at a complete disadvantage against the other now would I?" I replied, "And now-"

"Here it comes….." Ikuchi sweated anxiously waiting for it.

I was just about to overlay my dragons, but then decided to do something else and throw her off, "Diamond head dragon! Attack Ikuchi's dragon dwelling in the deep with Diamond Devastator!"

"Huh!? He's…not going to overlay them?" Ikuchi thought in surprise. My dragon then blasted a stream of wind and diamond shards, before she snapped back to the duel, "I activate my trap! Water barrier! When you attack a water attribute monster, this trap cancels out your attack!" A pillar of water shot out from the sea and blocked the incoming attack! "Did you really think it would be that easy?"

I smiled, "I figured you would have a trap ready so it was better to get you to use it now instead of later. Guess I've got no other choice but to end my turn with 2 facedowns." 2 facedown cards materialised under the water

She then pouted in annoyance, "H..Hey! Why didn't you xyz summon!? Are you-"

"Before you jump into conclusions about me taking it easy or mocking you," I said out loud interrupting her, "Let me first clarify that I need my field as the way it is for the moment, as I have something else planned in mind. Also, after seeing you duel I have nothing but respect for your skills as a duelist, so its only fair I show you all the tricks I have up my sleeve right?"

"Hmm okay then." She thought deciding to believe me and then resumed her turn, "It's my draw now!" A card slate erupted from the water, "I'll make you regret not using those 2 monsters when you had the chance Ryuga!" she suddenly called out, "First off, my deep dragon gains another ocean counter with his effect!" A second set of scales lighted up on him, "Now I activate the spell big wave small wave!" The spell showed itself, "With this card, I can destroy all my face up water monsters and then special summon the same number of water monsters from my hand!" A huge wave then erupted from the ocean which swallowed up sea serpent warrior of darkness and dragon dwelling in the deep!

"Now from my hand I call forth 2 of the most frightening sea monsters you've laid your eyes upon!" She declared as 2 tablets flipped forward and shone, "Come forth! Spiral serpent and Kairyu Shin!" A pair of giant sea monsters rose out from the ocean with savage snarls!

"That can't be good…." I sweated nervously at the vicious monsters. My dragons were beginning to acknowledge that the princess was definitely no damsel in distress when it comes to duelling. She takes it to heart and not only fights skilfully but also with passion and connection for the game and with her monsters.

"I'm far from done Ryuga! I also play the trap torrential reborn! When a water monster(s) has been destroyed, not only can I immediately revive them, but you'll also take 500 points of damage for each one brought back!" She declared as her trap flipped up from the water.

"That's even worse!" I gasped in horror as both previous monsters shot out of the sea and then fired a pair of water beams which knocked me off my perch! "Aaaaaah!" I screamed as I fell.

 **Ryuga: 4000-3000**

"Ryuga!" Ikuchi gasped in shock with the same feeling experienced by her duel spirit friends. "Quick help him!" She called out to her monsters who were about to charge in to catch me but-

"There's no need! It's all under control!" I called out assuringly before turning to my monster, "Diamond head!" My dragon growled and he charged at me, and luckily he came through for me at the last minute by catching me in his claws, "Phew thanks for that." I breathed relieved as my dragon then growled happily to see me alright.

"Hah…." Ikuchi breathed in relief, placing her hand on her chest as she saw I was safe. "S…sorry about that…." she apologised as I landed on the nearest floating platform.

"Don't sweat it!" I grinned, "In fact, that was just incredible! Thanks for the experience!" I cried holding a thumbs up.

She then took a step back at what she just witnessed, "You found that…fun!?" She then shook her head in disbelief and began scolding me, "That's crazy! You could have been severely hurt or worse! There's nothing fun about that in the slightest!"

"Maybe," I replied understanding her concern, "But what's there in an action duel if you can't take a little risk in the process! That's what makes a duel all the more fun!"

"Fun?" she asked curiously.

"The thrill of the duel and the experience of taking part in the battle itself, don't you find that just exhilarating? Also, I just got to show you how close I am with my monsters! I trust them completely that they'll never let me down in a duel nor would they ever let anything harm me!"

"Amazing….He really trusts his monsters dearly in them. It seems there's a lot more to you and your kinship with your beloved monsters than I first Imagined Ryuga." She thought to herself amazed to finally see someone who understood and connected with monsters on an emotional level like she did, "Back to the matter at hand, due to the field spell Legendary Ocean all my water monsters gain 200 attack and defence points! But wait, since my deep water dragon was just removed from the field and then brought back, all my monsters gain 400 attack points till the end of this turn, since he had 2 ocean counters! How's that for a combination!?"

 **2900-3500**

 **1800-2400**

 **1800-2400**

 **1700-2300**

"No way!" I gasped.

"Im not through yet!" she continued to my dismay.

"There's more!?"

"You don't known the half of it!" She smirked, "Before I begin leading my monsters on an undersea assault on your life points, I activate rage of Kairyu shin!" The stone tablet flipped forward and Ikuchi's Kairyu Shin began to roar violently as the strength of the sea began to surge through its body! "Now for every water monster I control whose original level was 5 or more, I can target and destroy that many monsters on your field! Furthermore their monster zones are rendered useless until the end of your next turn!" Kairyu Shin then locked on to diamond head and parsec before charging straight forward and generating a powerful surf which stretched tall over us, as well as absorbing the platforms that got in its' way!

"This is bad…." I thought to myself worried, knowing no amount of life support could keep me from sinking if that wave were to hit its mark!

"I hope you know how to swim Ryuga, because you are about to feel the wrath of the mighty sea!" She called out confidently.

"Good thing you have that trap set," Jormangandr whispered telepathically in my ear, "You know what to do?"

"Way ahead of you." I replied having prepared for this situation and wanting to teach Ikuchi a new lesson of being flexible, "Impressive combo Ikuchi, but like I said earlier, I planned for something like this!" I suddenly called out before leaping onto the floating platforms until I was higher above the incoming tidal waves! "Before I lose my chance, I'll save the both of them by activating the Quick xyz trap card!" As my trap flipped up and glowed, both my monsters changed into a pair of yellow lights which sprung into the air and out of the tidal wave's path!

"Hey! Where did they go!?" Ikuchi gasped in shock as her attention was more focused on my monsters.

"Thanks to the effect of Quick xyz, I'm allowed to build the overlay network using my 2 level 8 dragons and xyz summon a rank 8 xyz monster!" A xyz portal then formed on the ground and both my monsters dived inside it! "Great protector of the peaceful land, hear the prayers of its people who call upon you to aid them in battle!" A huge crack tore in the ground and much of the flood waters began to drain inside it! "I xyz summon! Rise! The tail of the dragon keeper! Rank 8! Jormangandr! Mighty Basilisk of Quakes!" Jormangandr rose from the sea and roared loudly, as his roar sent waves through the water and caused Ikuchi's monsters to struggle against them! "How does it feel Jormangandr? To be able to come out for some fresh air and to stretch your tail?"

"t feels absolutely rejuvenating." he replied pleased.

Ikuchi then took a step back, "X…xyz!? During my turn!? Also….that monster….3000 defence points…" She realised it to be one of the spirits that was with me before the start of the match.

"It's an honour to meet you face to face your highness." Jormangandr said respectfully.

I then smirked, "There's a lot more to summoning than just by the book! Sometimes when the usual way doesn't work, you'll just have to be flexible, adapt and have an open mind for new unexpected approaches! Something you should consider carefully, if you decide to rule Norvagen as queen!"

"Well said Ryuga." Jormangandr said impressed at my use of words.

"Wow….Guess there's a lot more I need to learn about the outside world after all…." she realised amazed at what little she really knew her whole life this entire time. She then smirked eagerly for a counter measure of her own, "Well you're still far from safe Ryuga! The ocean commands all and you have yet to face its full might! But you soon will once my ritual monster takes to the field at this very moment!"

We couldn't believe what we just heard, "Ritual monster!? Now!?"

She nodded having waiting patiently for this moment, and now the time has arrived for her to give me a taste of the ocean's true might! "I activate the ritual spell known as **Offering to the Sea**!" The card tablet flipped forward and depicted a cult of cloaked sages in a large boat riding across a stormy sea with thunder and lightning. The sages were holding up a ritual raven bound in ropes, which they were prepared to toss into a huge whirlpool with a ritual circle at the center of it. "With this spell, I can ritual summon any water monster from my hand by sacrificing monsters from my field or had whose total levels equal that ritual monster! Now! I offer up my now level 4 Kairyu Shin and level 3 Dragon dwelling in the deep!" A huge whirlpool sprung up from the ground in front of Ikuchi as the tablet glowed both her chosen monsters were sucked into its depths! "Great beast of the sea, with the power of the oceans in your veins, arise from the dark depths and bring forth the great deluge! I ritual summon! Come forth! Level 7! **Southern ocean Diabolos**!"

As the whirlpool disappeared, a dark shadow could be seen from deep under the surface, as a pair of yellow eyes shone. A massive eruption came from the water as something burst out of the sea surface! As the surf cleared, staring back at me in the eye was the pointed head of a giant green plesiosaur, whose head resembled that of an ichthyosaur's! besides its massive body and deep green colouring it also had a lining of yellow spinal fins, facial spines and long flippers. At the end of its massive tail to had a whale's fluke. It's head also had a red gem embedded in its forehead and it screeched loudly, forcing me to cover my ears in pain.

 **Southern Ocean Diabolos, Level 7, Sea Serpent, Ritual, WATER ATK: 2100 DEF: 1900**

"Whoa…that thing is really big…." I said impressed as the plesiosaur's size rivalled that of my dragon, Jormangandr.

"If you think he's powerful now just you wait! Thanks to the power bonuses from Deep dwelling dragon and my field spell, Diabolos gains 600 attack points!" she announced as the sea began to channel more power into her mighty behemoth.

 **2100-2700**

"Not bad, but even with those power ups it still doesn't have enough strength to overcome Jormangandr's 3000 defence points!" I called out.

"Hold on! There's one more thing you should know." she interrupted confidently, "When ritual summoned, Diabolos automatically destroys all cards on your side of the field!" She quickly called out to my shock.

"It can what!?"

"Go! Demonic deluge!" she commanded as her monster bellowed, it then lifted half its body out of the water before slamming down hard and generating an enormous tsunami that began to traverse across the field, to the awe of the spectating duel spirits and my horror.

"Ryuga! You know what to do!" Jormangandr yelled looking up at me from the ground!

"I'm on it! I activate Jormangandr's special ability! Earth barrier!" Jormangandr swallowed one unit before slamming hard on the ground with his front limbs! It caused a huge wall of solid rock to erupt from the ground in front of him, which diverted the water wave away from both him and me! "By using an overlay unit, Jormangandr negates his own destruction from an opponent's effect or attack!" In the meantime my facedown card was swept away by the flash flood, not before it flashed at the last second.

"Very impressive…." Ikuchi noted at my dragon's great durability and spirit, "Diabolos can't attack this turn due to his special ability, so it seems I'll just have to attack with spiral serpent then! Wash that dragon away with Spiral stream!" Her monster hissed before charging a powerful water beam in its jaws and then firing it straight at Jormangandr!

I then smirked myself, "You should have paid more attention to my field just now Ikuchi, but because you didn't and were too eager to jump into battle, it's going to cost you dearly!"

"Huh!?"

"Right before Diabolos' Demonic Deluge struck, I quickly activated my facedown which was trap booster!" The spell card revealed itself in ghost form from the sea, "All I had to do was send a single card in my hand to the graveyard and for this turn only I can activate a trap from my hand!"

"A trap from the hand!?" she couldn't believe what she just heard.

"That's right!" I answered before taking a trap card from my hand and activating it, "And the trap I choose is dragon dance! When you attack a dragon type xyz monster on my field this trap lets me banish 2 dragons from my graveyard! And I banish Arkbrave dragon and Phantom dragon!" The spirits of both my dragons rose from a shining portal in the ground and began to dance elegantly together in the air. As they did the spirits around us began to cheer in excitement while Ikuchi looks don completely speechless at the sight.

"I…don't believe what I'm seeing…it's duelling and yet…it's so incredible I have no words to describe it!" Ikuchi called out unable to describe her upwelling emotions.

I then smiled at her being amazed, "What you see before is a duel style I learnt back home, the entertainment duel style!"

"Entertainment?"

"The way we duel isn't solely for winning, we strive to give to the audience smiles and happiness!" I explained, "As well as it teaching them that not only monsters and duelist can together to work as one, but also the true meaning of duelling as a mean of unity and peace!"

"A duel as a means to give to others…." she was almost speechless at this new discovery, that practically opened up new horizons and possibilities for her, "That's beautiful…."

"I am honored by your praise princess, but sadly no amount of flattery is going to save your spiral serpent from my basilisk's counterattack! You see now your monster loses attack points equal to the combined attack points of both my dragons! And since their total is 5100 it exceeds spiral serpent's attack points, so now you're going to be hitting yourself with 3000 points of direct damage from Jormangandr!" They both then possessed Spiral serpent as it attacked causing the spiral stream attack to shrink until nothing reached my basilisk! Jormangandr then opened his jaws and began to charge an orange sphere in his jaws, "Go! Earth pulse!"

"Oh no! Not good!" she gasped as her attack was about to backfire. "There must be something I can do….." she thought to herself frantically before looking up above her, seeing it to be her only option, "I hope you don't mind Ryuga, but I'm going to take your advice right here and now!" To my surprise she then began to leap up on top of her Diabolos' head which then threw her higher above the platforms towards a certain target I wasn't expecting her to go for.

"You're using an action card!?" I gasped as she grabbed it and landed safely on another platform.

"You didn't say I couldn't use them!" Ikuchi grinned cheekily, "Also you said it yourself Ryuga, I should try having a more open mind to any kind of situation, now it's time to see if it pays off!" She then took the card and eyed it, "Let's see here…" Ikuchi muttered as she took a look at the card she acquired and then sweatdropped, "Oh dear…" At that point, Jormangandr had finished charging his attack and blasted her spiral serpent back a couple of feet away, causing it to screech in pain and the sound waves shook Ikuchi up quite a bit! "URGH!" she grunted as she barely managed to hold herself together.

 **Ikuchi: 4000-1000**

"I assume you didn't get something you could use?" I asked curiously, "Action cards can be a coin toss so there will be times when you don't get what you want or need."

"Perhaps, but I'm still going to make best use of what I have!" She said holding up the card, "Go damage draw! Since I took over 2000 points of battle damage I can now draw twice! So here we go!" 2 card slates then erupted from the in front of Ikuchi.

"Not bad for a beginner," Jormangandr commented impressed.

"Yeah, but with the way she duels, let's see if those cards she got can help her out in this situation." I replied looking on to what would happen next, and to see if my suspicions were correct.

As Ikuchi looked at her new card slates she then smiled, "Ryuga was right, if I truly believed my deck and monsters will answer…." She then proceeded with her end phase as there was nothing more her monsters could do, "I end my turn with 2 facedown cards. Now that the end phase has been reached, the effect of my dragon dwelling in the deep ends so now my monsters have their attack points lowered by 400."

 **2700-2300**

 **2400-2000**

She then thought to herself remembering her facedown cards, "Alright here goes, if Ryuga attempts to switch his dragon into attack mode to attack my weakened spiral serpent, my first trap ice barrier shall freeze him in place and reduce his attack points to 0 making him an easy target for my monsters! Also, if he happens to summon another dragon with very high attack points, my second trap tidal advantage ought to cut it down to size by half and prevent any of my monsters from being destroyed by battle! No matter how you see it, this duel shall be mine!"

I noticed that confident look in her eyes and decided may the best duelist win this. "Here we go Jormangandr! I draw!" I drew a new card and observed it and my hand, "Your heart's clearly in the right place Ikuchi, that much I can agree on. From what I've seen so far, you really are experienced in duelling and in providing the perfect conditions to ritual summoning. I also noticed that you have a deep connection with your monsters, which is also just as important. That deserves plenty of respect."

"Awww thank you Ryuga." she said feeling honoured and happy to be praised.

"However, you still have quite a ways to go before you can stand at my level. And I'll show you by wrapping this duel up here and now." I then declared.

"And….how do you plan on doing that?" Ikuchi asked suspiciously, "Your dragon is still in defence mode, it can't initiate attacks unless it first switches its battle mode."

"Under the normal rules perhaps, but like I said before, every rule has a loophole to it! You'll have to be flexible and learnt to adapt to different situations and times. But how about I show you what I mean!" I called out taking a spell from my hand, "I play monster reborn! With it I'll revive masked dragon from my graveyard!" A portal in the ground opened and my red and white dragon flew out of it and next to Jormangandr. "Now I activate the spell Guard plus! By tributing a monster on my field, another monster gains attack points equal to its defence points! So now by sacrificing masked dragon, Jormangandr now gains its' 1400 attack points in his defence points!" Masked dragon exploded into sparkles which were then absorbed into Jormangandr, causing his armoured mountain like scales to shine brighter and harden!

 **3000-4400**

"I still don't see the logic to all this." Ikuchi said out loud puzzled by this move, "Why bother to increase your monster's defence points when it has to use attack points while in attack mode to battle?"

"The reason is because of Jormangandr's special ability!" I finally answered, "My basilisk has the power to attack no matter which mode he is in as long as he has overlay units! And if he attacks while in defence mode, his defence points are applied during damage calculation!"

"It can.…attack while still in defence mode!?" she exclaimed seeing that her traps were completely useless in this situation.

"Now you see what it means by duelling outside the box!" I replied guessing from her expression my combo found the loophole in her facedowns, "You put up a good fight Princess, but I'm the one who's coming out on top in this duel! Go Jormangandr! Attack Southern Ocean Diabolos with Earth hammer!" Jormangandr nodded as he roared loudly and raised his tail up high, Ikuchi thought she would make it in time for an action card but she underestimated Jormangandr's power, as he swung his tail almost as fast as lightning struck! The club landed straight at Diabolos causing it to screech in pain before finally exploding!

"AAAAHHH!" She cried as the shockwaves caught her midair and she fell.

"Ikuchi!" I cried out in shock. Luckily for the both of us, she was saved at the last moment by Kairyu Shin who stretched its long body out and caught her on its back. "Phew…." I breathed relieved, also happy to see the strong connection she had with her own monsters.

 **Ikuchi: 1000-0**

 **Ryuga: WIN!**

As the duel ended, the waters quickly receded and our monsters vanished along with the field back into their cards and slates. I then leapt down the platforms one by one until I touched ground level, and then made my way over to Ikuchi who was lying down on the field of flowers.

"I lost….I guess I still have a long way to go." she said to herself seeing her weakness, and her duel spirit friends came around to comfort her discouraged feelings. She then smiled, "Thank you my friends, I don;t know what I'd do, if I never had friends like you to care for me." she said as they helped her up.

"You okay?" I asked as I came up to her. The spirits then backed away and decided to give us some space, also respecting the power I displayed in the duel.

"I'm fine Ryuga, thank you for your concern." she said before smiling warmly, having gotten over her defeat already thanks to the encouragement from her friends, "You know, you really are strong and it was a good duel too. Actually, even though I lost, I still was a lot of fun!" she cheered.

"I'm glad you feel that way." I said relieved, "Duelling is more than just winning or losing, it's also important to have a great time too and to make sure it's fulfilling. Also, defeat isn't something to be afraid or ashamed of, after all no one can win forever not even me!" She then gaped, surprised that someone like me could still lose duels here and now despite my still and power, "But, the most important thing is not how many opponents you defeat, but also learning from defeat and standing back up again."

Ikuchi then thought it over and decided to speak up her thoughts, "I thank you very much for accepting my challenge Ryuga, you duelled honourably and I enjoyed it very much." she said bowing, "In fact after that 1 match, I feel like I've learnt a lot more about you and your bond with both your people and monsters, as well as my own personal limits. But that's not good enough, I know I still have a ways to go before I can reach where I want and need to be."

"I see what you mean Ikuchi." I replied impressed by her enthusiasm, "That's very wise thinking, to know there's always room to improve, and when you first acknowledge your defeat and weaknesses only then will you be able to move forward."

"And that's why…Ryuga…." he then walked up to me before blushing slightly, "If it's alright…well…Argh! This is so hard to say…." she muttered embarrassed.

"Yes? If there's anything you want to say feel free to speak. I'll hear you out." I said encouragingly.

"O…okay then", She then clasped her hands together and mustered enough confidence to speak, "Can you please take me on as your student!?" she blurted out.

Her request was so out of the blue and so sudden I had no idea how to respond as I took a few steps back in bewilderment, "S…say what!?" I gasped, "My…student!?" I could feel my heart racing like crazy, as raindrops of sweat began to drip from my face.

She then fell on her knees and bowed down, which was odd coming from a royal, "This is the first time I've had so much fun with duelling and I want to anti new doing so!" she pleaded, "I really want to learn all things that only you know! I want to learn more about your other types of summonings but even more so, I want to learn more about your world and even that amazing duel style you pulled off during our duel!"

'W…well…" I then scratched my head unsure of what to do.

"You….can't?" she looked up at me with sad eyes, which I admit sparkled almost like the water surface with her tears, and were quite hard to resist and deny. In fact looking into them I noticed a sort of purity within them, that she was willing to do anything for me to say yes.

"I…it's not like that!" I cried out waving my hands frantically, "It's not that I can't teach you! It's just…Well….I've never taken on a student before, so I…I just know if I'm cut out for it!" I said to her.

"Please!" she begged further, "I don't anyone else except you! With you teaching me I know I can get stronger. Much, much stronger! Not just so I can look after myself, but also so that I can look after Norvagen when I one day take the throne, and I'll be sure to lead them on by example to the true unity it once had!"

I could see how determined she was that she would even resort to prostrating herself before me. Tot think she was willing to go that far and sacrifice all of her noble pride and dignity just to have me make her stronger as a person. "Wow, she's even kneeling down on the floor. She sure is intent on this request, also to see her bow down like that….isn't that against the law for someone of her status to bow like that, to an outsider of all people?" I thought to myself nervously, feeling the immense pressure weighing down tremendously on me, "Wh-What should I do? I never took on an apprentice of my own, but…it wouldn't be right to refuse. Also, she's definitely got determination and a good heart, those are essential qualities needed in a strong duelist. Maybe…just maybe…I'd like to see just how far she can go as a duelist." I then made my decision and stood confidently as a master would, "Alright Ikuchi stand up." I said firmly.

She then looked up and stood, "Y…yes?" She waited in anticipation for my answer to her,

"I've decided to consider your request," before I could give her a chance to smile and cheer like a little girl, "However, I do have 2 conditions that I hope you can meet."

"Oh….So….what may they be?" she asked curiously. Bracing herself as well for any criticism or challenge I may throw at her.

"The first is that my teaching is not for the faint of heart." I stated, "I expect you to put in everything you have into what I teach, never do it apathetically. Hope you can realise if you can't commit then you'll never be able surpass your current self."

"Okay, I understand fully." she replied finding the request to be reasonable, and requiring her full commitment for once she sets down this path she will have to see it through, "And…what is the other request."

I then smiled, "Second, lets not have any of this master-student relationship between us. In fact, I really just want you to be my friend."

"A…friend? You…and me?" she said surprised.

I nodded. I then noticed a small smile come across her face, and all of a sudden she began to giggle, before turning into uncontrollable laughter! "Tee hee hee! Hahahahahaha!"

I then took a step back in shock, "H..Hey! What's gotten into you all of a sudden!? What's so funny!?" I gasped in alarm, also finding it mildly disturbing.

"Nothing! It's just this feeling of happiness gushing out from deep inside me….It's incredible." she laughed with joyfully before standing up high full of energy, "You're actually the first friend I've ever made! Human friend to be precise! Someone I can relate to and someone I can fully trust!"

"Wow….That's…quite an honour." I breathed before smiling myself, "Well then Ikuchi, as your new friend I'll be happy to help you get better from here on out. When shall we get started?"

"How about tomorrow morning?" she suggested, "Right before dawn while everyone's still asleep, we'll meet right here at this very spot! I look forward to you teaching me many things!"

"Then it's settled." I replied in agreement before noticing the sky had started to turn bright orange, signalling the approaching evening, "Whoa, I never imagined how much time had already passed."

"Well then shall we head back?" Ikuchi suggested, "It's getting quite late and my father will probably throw a fit if he finds out that the 2 of us aren't within the palace grounds."

"I hear you. Alright, lead the way Ikuchi." I said.

"Gladly." And with that, after saying goodbye to all the spirits in the forest the 2 of us set off down the same forest path back to the castle on the other side.

Meanwhile in the deck, "Hahaha! It seems our boy has managed to win over the heart of Norvagen's princess!" Fafnir laughed in amusement at the sight, "Good for him!"

"With her supporting us, we're one step closer winning over King Avalon's trust and support with the 4 dimensions," Jormangandr added feeling pleased with both he duel's result and having had his chance to get out in a long while, "And with his help, maybe we can even find a way to return home right Bahamut?" they then turned to their brother who was focused intently on the conversation between the 2 humans.

"Hmmm…." he muttered carefully while scratching his chin.

"Bahamut?" Tiamat asked, "Is there something on your mind again that you're not willing to share…again?" she asked while leaning in closer.

He then narrowed his eyes until they were as sharp as daggers, "Don't you feel it?" he said without facing any of them.

"Feel what?" they asked.

"Remember the seal on Leviathan's tomb?" he answered before reciting it, "Let one whose soul is as pure as the most tranquil and peaceful of waters, as well as carrying the powerful strength of the great blizzard, may the ritual to free the dragon who sleeps in stone be made known." He then turned his eyes over to the best possible candidate he had in mind for the task, "I think….we may finally found the key to setting her free."

They were taken aback by his statement, clearly not expecting it in the slightest, "Bahamut, you don't think-"

He then shook his head before lowering his head and closing his eyes, "I can't say exactly for sure, right now it is far too early to make rash conclusions. But one thing I do know is that only time will tell if she may be the chosen one." He then opened them firmly, "The one to possess the breath of the dragon queen."

Unbeknownst to all of us, a shaded figure had been observing us carefully since the very beginning from the shadows created by the trees. As silently as he appeared, the figure then turned around and left the glade without making a single sound.

 **And there goes chapter 8. Hope you enjoyed it as it soon picks up more in chapter 9.**

Offering to the sea

This card can be used to ritual summon any WATER ritual monster. You must also tribute monsters whose total levels exactly equal the levels of the Ritual monster you Ritual summon.

Southern Ocean Diabolos

You can ritual summon this card with Offering to the Sea. When this card is Ritual Summoned, destroy all cards your opponent controls. This card cannot attack the turn it is Ritual Summoned.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Last evening, Ikuchi and I were able to make it back on time when King Avalon went to inspect both of us in our respective rooms and we were lucky he didn't suspect a thing. The next morning, I managed to wake up early after getting a good night's sleep and then met her waiting for me below my room, and like before I climbed down the vines without any trouble and we made our way to the glade without anyone spotting us.

"Alright Ikuchi, before we get down to summoning practice I think it's best we cover the basic principles of the other summoning methods." I explained as she sat down back at the tree stump in the middle of the field.

She then nodded, "Understood."

"Okay then, first I'm sure you're already aware about the basic rules normal summoning as well as ritual summoning correct?"

"Of course." "It's quite basic really, since the higher the level of a monster, usually the harder it is to summon or the more sacrifices it would require to be normal summoned from the hand. Any monster lower than 5 can usually be summoned without any cost, while levels 5-6 requite one tribute and finally 7 and above can require 2 or more depending on the monster. Also, there can be some exceptions where a monster can be summoned with either fewer or even no tributes, or even be special summoned without any tribute for usually if the conditions on the field are met or at a certain cost from the either the monster or the duelist." She said, "As for ritual monsters, they must first be ritual summoned and that can only be conducted with the correct ritual spell in the hand. Usually the tributes will need to equal or exceed the level of the monster, from the field or the hand. Though there can be she examples where the sacrifices can even be from the deck or have to exactly equal the level of that ritual monster. Also most of them require a specific spell on order to call them forth, and some of these spells may have stricter requirements such as specific tributes or even field conditions. However, in exchange for such limitations the monsters summoned can usual be that much more powerful. So how's that for being well informed?"

"Wow, I couldn't have explained it better myself." I replied impressed, "I see your teachers have taught you well."

"My father made sure my instructors were of the highest caliber so I could get the highest level of training and education in preparation of the day I would wield monsters at will." Ikuchi replied.

"Well I'm no professor or high level instructor, but I'll do my best to teach you what I know." I said preparing myself for my first ever taught lesson, "First off, the 3 summoning methods fusion, synchro and xyz, all resolve around the extra deck."

"The…extra deck?" Ikuchi asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Its basically where those particular monsters are kept, separate from the main deck." I explained as I opened the extra deck compartment of my duel disk and took out a few samples of monsters there-Galaxy eyes full armour photon dragon, Malefic Paradox dragon and Cyberdarkness dragon. (All courtesy of Jin, Yamata and Nushi)

Ikuchi then eyed the cards and noticing their colouring to be very unique, "I see….So if I were to use monsters of these types I would need to use them in a separate section from my main arsenal…." she thought. I then turned to her diadhank, looking at it it was a very unique but primitive form of duel disk. Sure it may be able to conjure spirits in stone tablets from what I saw in duels here and the life gauge was replaced by a glowing meter at the arm attachment, which signified how much energy the duelist had remaining (Points were still recorded on my duel screen) but other than that…I don't have the slightest clue on how it works….Would she even be able to use an extra deck with this? Ikuchi then noticed me eyeing it then asked, "Is there….something wrong with my diadhank?"

"N..No it's not that." I replied, "It's just, I'm curious to know how it works. It's just…so different from the duel disk I use that I'm not fully sure if it's compatible with extra deck summoning methods. Maybe if I first figure that out I can confirm whether they can go together."

"Oh I see, in that case would you like to me to explain it for you?" she then asked.

"Really? You'd do that? Okay sure." I replied interestedly.

She then had me take a seat at the tree stump while she began to explain. It was quite long winded to be honest but I was able to understand how the diadhank was used to call upon card slates which were absorbed into the device itself be it monsters, spells or traps. Card slates with spells and traps were created using magic as well, some of which also were resulted as byproducts during their creation or even during the process of sealing away monsters. Sections such as the graveyard, deck zone and banish zone all were designed in special dimensional planes inside the diadhank and they all responded to a certain duelist and the actions he/she would take in a duel. All card slates a user has acquired were transported to the duel field through teleportation magic when activated, which sadly no one else knew how since only Enigma himself did. In fact he never once shared the secret as to how he did created them in the first place, claiming he feared others trying to mass produce them on an uncontrollable scale and possibly becoming a threat to Norvagen, so he made sure to provide them to those whoever he deemed most worthy or loyal to the throne to use them. Also those with diadhanks were usually strong and responsible enough to keep them from falling into the wrong hands, as inequality had risen amongst the people between those who were chosen and those who weren't. That did made me feel a little suspicious as to why a pair of bandits were able to acquire them in the first place. I could assume they stole them, but it couldn't have been that easy to pilfer them from highly trained royal guards….maybe there's more to it….

"And there you have it Ryuga." Ikuchi concluded as she finished her explanation on the diadhanks, "So did you find it helpful?"

"Huh? Oh right thanks!" I replied nodding out of my initial thoughts.

"Did you hear what you needed?" she then asked curiously.

"I…think I may have heard enough." I replied recalling as much as I could over what she said from her first word, "From what I can summarise, despite its use of magic over science to work, a diadhank really isn't that much different from a normal duel disk. It functions the same way the disk does in deck, drawing, graveyard and all other basic functions, only on a more primi- I mean different scale." I corrected not wanting to offend her world's technological state, "The only difference and problem though is that your diadhank lacks a 'space' where you can hold extra deck monsters. Which is not really a surprise since your world's monsters are all focused in the main deck and since we can;t exactly tinker with the functions of a diadhank like with a duel disk I think we may have hit a small dead end here.…" I replied after comparing both my duel disk to Ikuchi's diadhank.

"So…would that mean I'll never be able to special summon new more powerful monsters like you can?" she asked sadly.

I then thought for a moment not wishing to let this make me give, and soon realised a way we can work around that issue, "Actually, I think I may have that covered." I then brought out my bag which I took with me and began rummaging through it. As I began taking things out like my personal journal, repair tools or even some other gear I packed in case, Ikuchi felt intrigued at the sight of the new things she saw and while deeply interested, she felt it would be asking for too much if she were to ask me about every single detail about what I do, as well as respecting my own private space. Eventually I found what i was looking for, "Ah there it is." I then pulled it out and turned around, "Sorry to keep you waiting, here Ikuchi, you take this." I said as I handed her a small deck box with a clip on it.

"Wow Ryuga, thank for this…box?" she replied.

"That's more than a box Ikuchi," I replied, "From now on, that will be your extra deck. Any special monsters you'll pick up and that you want to use in a duel will go right there. Consider it your…starter kit on your new special summoning course."

She then smiled, "Hee hee! Thank you very much! I'll treasure this forever and never let go of it." she replied as she began huddling it closer to her face.

"Glad you…think that way…" I sweat dropped seeing how odd it was for a girl too be doing that to a small box of all things. Seeing how much time was already spent getting everything prepared I figured now would be the best time to begin, "Alright, with that settled! Class is finally in session! Please take your seats and let the learning begin." I said getting into a teacher-like vibe, though the only student before me was Princess Ikuchi herself. My dragons and counterparts couldn't help but sweat drop at how I looked form their point of view, but Ikuchi didn't seem to mind as she acting like a very attentive student. "Let's start with fusion, this should be the easiest to remember." I said holding up cyberdarkness dragon, "First up, this particular kind of monster needs to be fusion summoned, and to do that, the main card needed is this spell," I then took out polymerisation.

Ikuchi focused at it, "I remember that card, you used that to call forth that monstrous hydra when you duelled Jilen. " Ikuchi said remembering the match, "So this spell combines monsters to create terrifying demonic monsters? I'm not sure if I want to utilise such a power…." She said anxiously while eying cyberdarkness dragon, and remembering the horrifying impression Tiamat left behind. I could tell my dragon was feeling massively offended and wanted to make Ikuchi say that to her face, if the others weren't holding her back that is.

"Not exactly, not all fusion monsters aren't as menacing as my Tiamat was, in fact most in particular can be very amazing in appearance and power." I replied, "Anyway, fusion monsters are summoned from the extra deck using the spell polymerisation and having the required fusion materials listed on the card, which can be either specific or non-specific and either on the field or in your hand. By using polymerisation, you can send the required monsters to the graveyard and combine them into the fusion monster."

"That sounds similar to ritual in a way, since they require spells and monsters to be sent to the graveyard." Ikuchi noted.

"In a way yes, one difference though is that the fusion monster exists inside the extra deck and since you can't actually draw it, you can summon it without needing it in your hand."

"Wow….That's quite convenient." she thought to herself.

"On the topic of fusion materials, they can usually be specific depending on the fusion monster but there are a few loopholes to this, such as using a fusion substitute monster to counts one of those monsters. Also, there are a few exceptions like for example, some monsters being able to be fused without a fusion spell or needing non-specific materials, must be fused first or only being able to be special summoned by fusion. Like rituals, usually the more complicated the fusion summoning conditions, the stronger the monster." I continued, "I also know a number of other fusion methods utilised back in my home, but for the time being we'll just cover the basics."

"I think I understand what you're saying so far." Ikuchi said feeling more confident in herself.

"Alright then, with that settled how about we move on to synchro summoning." I said as I held out malefic paradox dragon who, along with Beelzeus, thankfully had made amends with Fafnir courtesy of Tiamat and Bahamut. "This summoning method requires at least 2 monsters, but unlike fusion and ritual, they have to be present on the field. Also, the main key to this summoning method is the tuner monster." I held out malefic parallel gear for this. "By sending the required monsters including the tuner to your graveyard, you can synchro summon from your extra deck a synchro monster whose level equals the combined total levels of the synchro materials. So in this case malefic parallel dragon is a level 10 monster, so when using the level 2 malefic parallel gear what other monsters will I need?"

"Hey hee! That's easy!" Ikuchi chuckled, "You'll need a level 8 monster for that."

I then nodded, "You're correct, but that's not always the case."

"Huh?"

"Sometimes, when you send a tuner monster, you don't just need a single monster whose level equals the remainder you need. You can use as many monsters as you need until their combined total fits the requirement, the only necessity is the tuner. Also, some synchro monsters however may require specific non-tuner monsters or even a specific tuner monster in order to be summoned." I explained using Malefic paradox dragon as an example, "Like fusion, there are other more advanced methods of summoning synchro monsters, but I think we can leave it at that for now." I didn't want to go over Yuya's pendulum synchro, Yamata's accel synchro or Jack Atlas's double tuning just yet otherwise it would be too much for her to take in on her first lesson.

"Wow….to think there would be so many different ways to call forth such a powerful monster by combining the powers of many…." Ikuchi thought to herself amazed at the powers beyond what she was used to. "You know, the fact that levels are important for synchro monsters, also applies for ritual monsters as well."

"Once again, that's a very good point there Ikuchi, then again I'm not surprised considering how observant you are." I replied impressed.

"Hey hee, thank you." she giggled.

"And finally we'll conclude today's lecture with xyz summoning." I said taking out Galaxy eyes full armour photon dragon.

Ikuchi then leaned in for a closer look at the card, "Black stars? Also they're all lined at the left side of the card, what kind of level is that?"

"About that Ikuchi," I stated, "Xyz monsters possess ranks not levels."

"Ranks?"

"Allow me to explain." I continued, "Basically, in order to xyz summon usually one must have 2 monsters present on the field with the same level. After that you overlay them on top of one another and then summon an xyz monster whose ranks equal the individual levels of the xyz materials, which then form overlay units."

"Overlay units?" Ikuchi then remembered, "Oh yeah! I remember the other day when you summoned Jormangandr he had a pair of orange lights orbiting him."

"Exactly, they act as the keystone for all xyz monsters. In fact, they usually essential for them to activate their special abilities, which can require detaching 1 or even 2 of them at once to the graveyard as cost."

"So would that mean their abilities are pretty much limited?" Ikuchi asked.

"For most yes, in fact, some may even carry negative side effects for either itself or its controller should they run out of them, which is why a duelist may need to carefully time when to use them." I continued, "Also while some xyz monsters may not have overlay unit related abilities, a few may not even have abilities at all, though rare."

"Wow, and I thought the first 2 summoning methods were complicated…." Ikuchi said out loud, "So let me get this straight, since xyz monsters possess ranks instead of levels would that mean their level is like 0?"

I then chuckled, "Hahahahaha!"

"Wh…what's so funny? Did I say something wrong that you find it amusing? Hmph!" she then blushed and pouted.

"Hahaha! Sorry, it's just a common misconception I've seen in many people so I can't help it." I said as I wiped away my tears before focusing once more, "The answer is no. You see ranks and levels are separate matters, because of that xyz monsters are completely unaffected by level related effects. Also-"

"Wait let me guess!" Ikuchi said out loud, "Since they have no levels I assume they can't be used for synchro or ritual materials right?"

"Wow you actually beat me to it." I replied impressed once more.

"So then what you're saying is, is that a rank 4 monster requires level 4 monsters to be summoned, and this rank 8 dragon here needs level 8 monsters correct? Would that mean monsters with higher ranks are stronger than those with lower ones?" she asked curiously.

"Generally yes, but usually the strength of xyz monsters doesn't come solely by their rank, it can also originate from the type, archetype or even number of required monsters needed as xyz materials. For example, some rank 4 monsters may require 3 monsters to be summoned, and so typically would have more powerful effects than a rank 4 which requires 2 monsters. As for galaxy eyes here, it requires 3 level 8 monsters so it would be stronger than an xyz monster of the same rank but with fewer requirements. The same may also be applied for those that require a specific type, attribute or even archetype of monster than those that can utilise any kind of monster." I said.

"Amazing…." Ikuchi gasped.

"And that's about all that we'll cover today on the 3 summoning methods. To sum it all up, all extra deck monsters first require to be special summoned through their own respective summoning form, unless specified otherwise they can't be summoned in any other way. Also the harder it is to summon, usually the more powerful it is. Are we clear?" I asked.

"Yes indeed," Ikuchi replied, "Also, I think I realised something as well from all that you've just told me Ryuga." she added.

"Oh really? What's that?" I asked curiously.

"All these summoning methods, fusion, synchro, xyz….While they each bear some similarity to ritual, they all share one key difference that sets them completely apart form my world's summoning." She then took a breath ready for her own long theory, "Ritual summoning utilises the life energy of tributed monsters in order to conjure up even more powerful ones, in other words tributes are basically sacrifices in order to call forth an even more powerful being from their life force, which can be done pretty much willingly or unwillingly depending on the user. In fact with ritual, we can utilise a single monster as the entire sacrifice while each of your summoning methods on the other hand require at least 2 monsters, which further highlights uniting 2 or more into 1. They help to draw out their inner strength to not only gain power, but also to forge strong bonds between each other and their controller. That alone I believe, deserves much respect."

"Wow," I found myself almost speechless at what she just stated, "I…never really thought about it like that before."

"It seems that we've both learnt something from each other today. Haha!" she laughed before remembering something else, "Wait what about pendulum summoning? Aren't you going to teach me about that too?"

"Ummm…Let's not be so hasty." I suggested, "How about we save that for a later time? Because in my opinion, pendulum is pretty much the most complex and probably the most powerful method of summoning there is. Not that I don't have faith in your abilities, I think maybe you should take it one step at a time, after all haste makes waste."

"Oh I see…." she replied before smiling, "In that case, when do we start practice?" she asked suddenly to my surprise, "I want to learn how to summon such powerful monsters like you do!"

"Wow, I did not see that coming." I thought, "I knew she was determined to learn new things, but not like this. Then again that kind of determination is what makes progress, so I think she may have what it takes to pull it off." I then stood up confidently, "I suppose since we've come this far into theory, we might as well get some hands on training while we're at it." I said as I reached into my bag for any cards that may be suitable for beginners in the extra deck that I could loan to Ikuchi.

"Alright!" she cheered excitedly. Not once in a long while had she felt so alive and eager for anything, it was as if a spark of life had been lit inside her, and she had no regrets about taking the very step into an all new horizon.

I then found a small pack of spare cards I kept as a side deck, "Okay then let's…." As I opened it up and scrolled through what I had, I then realised I wasn't as prepared to teach as I first thought, "Oh…."

"What's wrong?" she asked curious at me suddenly turning silent.

"Well…." I then scratched my head uneasily before turning to her, "As much as I would love to help you perform your first extra deck summon, I'm afraid that I'm very short-handed on resources ever since I came here and have no way to go back. Not to offend you either but, the only spare cards I currently have with me are far too powerful for your skill level just yet…." I said knowing some that I had like ultimate xyz, future fusion and synchro alliance may have been too advanced for a beginner like Ikuchi and not to mention they wouldn't be very compatible with the deck she currently used, "That being said…I'm afraid I won't be able to provide you any of the essential cards and practice for you to do it yourself."

"So….it would be impossible for me to try it out for myself?" she asked feeling somewhat disappointed and disheartened once more.

"I'm afraid so." I replied regretfully, "If I could go back to my world I'd lend you a couple of cards that may be more suitable for practice. But…guess that means the 2 of us are at a dead end."

"That's too bad I suppose….and I was really looking forward to it too." she replied sadly.

Fortunately for us we weren't exactly alone to figure this out, "That may not be necessarily true Ryuga." A voice said from my duel disk, which we both heard. I then looked towards it recognising it to be Fafnir's, as she then appeared before us in spirit form to speak with us.

"Fafnir?" I asked curious as to why she would present herself all of a sudden.

"Pardon my intrusion, but I thought I may have news worth sharing to the both of you. News that may you find interesting and may help you acquire the monsters you need to extra deck summon." she answered.

"R..Really!?" I gasped in surprise while Ikuchi leaned in to make sure she didn't just hear things.

"It's true, while it is faint, just beyond those mountains I can sense the presence of some 'special' monsters," She replied as she turned towards a pair of mountains in the distance which lead out to the nearby sea, "I am unsure of how this is possible, but I also sense the potential powers of fusion, synchro and xyz in them.

"Okay in that case, let's go look for these special monsters! I just can't wait to make some new powerful friends!" Ikuchi cheered excitedly while I couldn't help but smile at her childish behaviour. Her face was like that of an innocent child, one to be preserved and to be protected from evil. My train of thought was interrupted as a bright light suddenly shone from my duel disk, and as it cleared Fafnir stood before us in full dragon form as she spread her wings widely, stretching them as if she had't been out for a long while!

"Whoa Fafnir! What's up with the sudden appearance?" I gasped in surprise, while Ikuchi looked on completely awestruck by my wyvern's captivating beauty and shining wings.

"It will be a very long journey there," Fafnir replied, "You two deserve first class travel." she said smiling at us while lowering her wing and allowing us to climb aboard. Ikuchi was reluctant to at first, having to get on a massive dragon and all, but with a little persuasion and encouraging her to trust in both us and herself she finally accepted as I helped her on top t my dragon's neck. "Please keep all your hands and legs inside at all times, hold on tight and whatever you do don't let go. Also no snacks and drinks on board this flight at all times otherwise I isn't you learn how to fly on your own" Fafnir smirked while staying that making Ikuchi feel nervous, "And up we go!" she roared as she flared her wings and immedeatly took to the sky! Very son the glade was filled with the echo of a certain girl screaming!

"AAAAAAHHHH!"

I was lucky able to keep Ikuchi from strangling my neck tightly out of fear from falling. After a while though she began to be captivated by the many new sights she laid her eyes upon. From the sparkling waters of the rivers and lush farmland, to the bustling town of Norvagen below us, it was an entirely new experience for her and what she would definitely never forget. She then smiled and cheered even more so, seeing how we were enjoying ourselves as we soared through the skies, clouds and even look down below us, seeing the fields, mountains and natural wilderness along the way.

Eventually, we arrived at the ragged cliffs met with splashing waves. While riding Fafnir we were able to descend safely to the lower levels at the beach where she began to sniff out where the 2 'special monsters' were hiding out, which traced to a large cave which connected to the main sea. "This is as far as I can take you both, from here on you'll have to make the rest of the hunt on your own. And I don't need to tell you to be careful."

"We will Fafnir, and thank you, you've done plenty for us already so we'll take it from here." I replied as we headed inside together, while she remained outside to guard the entrance and keep an eye out for danger. It was dark and damp when we went in, but while I was having trouble navigating (Along with an embarrassing mishap on the slippery cave floor or even a few close calls) Ikuchi apparently was able to follow her 'heart and instincts' as she said. Eventually we found ourselves in a cavern pool with a glowing blue light shining at its center from an opening in the roof, on a large stalagmite in the middle of the pool. "I can feel something here…." I said quietly to Ikuchi after getting a close feel of my surroundings, "Stay alert, who knows what we may find." She then nodded in response as we headed further in.

As we took a few steps step down to the cave pool, we then stopped after noticing some bubbles floating to the surface and ripples waving through the water. It was then I knew we were about to have company. 2 monsters then erupted from the pool in a geyser of water! The first was a shaded large serpentine monster with long wing like fins and fin like appendages along the length of its body rose from the geyser before slithering up around the stalagmite and hissing at us aggressively! It was green from what I could make out of from the low light, and it had a set of sharp fangs in its jaws and a pink glow on its forehead which resembled a third eye. The second was a large bipedal amphibious monster which resembled a humanoid newt or salamander, with webbing around its limbs, tail and head. It had a pair of ferocious red eyes which stared intently at us as it also flashed a red jewel embedded in its mucous forehead.

Ikuchi took a step back anxiously upon sight of the 2 monsters before us, while I closed my eyes and focused hard sending a telepathic message to the outside, "Hey Fafnir?"

"Yes Ryuga, those are the monsters we were sensing. Be very careful, it appears they don't take kindly to invaders." she replied before narrowing her eyes seeing what I saw, "Also, those 2 monsters were once followers of leviathan herself….How interesting and fitting." she thought to herself as she immediately recognised their appearance and smell. They both growled aggressively at our presence, apparently agitated at having their peace disturbed by a pair of humans.

As I prepared my duel disk and was about to walk up to them, hopefully to earn their trust before having to resort to force, Ikuchi then held her arm out to stop me from taking another step. "Stay back Ryuga, I've got this." she said eying me as she leapt down to a rock floating on the water surface, "If I run now, then all this would be for nothing. It's time for me to see this through like I promised you."

I couldn't help but feel worried for her safety, but something inside told me to believe in her and that this may also be a great way to test her determination, "Go for it Ikuchi, I know you can do it." She nodded acknowledging my words before leaping across a series of floating rocks closer to where the 2 sea monsters then came closer to Ikuchi, snarling and hissing menacingly up close to her. Anyone else would have run at first sight but she held her ground courageously and stood firm against the 2 monsters. As they came in for a closer look they began to move around her, observing her carefully as well as sniffing her curiously. Ikuchi then raised her arms out towards the both of them, "I am of no threat to you. I mean neither of you any harm." she said as both monster grunted in response, "I am in need of your strength, so please, I humbly request your allegiance. Will you….join me?" she then asked kindly.

After that the 2 monsters looked to one another before looking back at her. They then acknowledged her as worthy and seeing her intentions sincere and her heart as pure as water. They then leaned in closer and placed their heads into her palms, as a sign of their acceptance. Ikuchi then smiled and whispered thank you to them both as she raised her diadhank arm which glowed brightly. A pair of card slates erupted from the ground and the 2 monsters were absorbed into them, "Yay! I did it!" Ikuchi cheered as the 2 tablets exploded into blue sparkles and were absorbed into her duel disk. She then turned to me with a most joyous and lively expression, "Ryuga! Did you see that!? I managed to capture those 2 monsters!" She then been to jump for joy uncontrollably in excitement, something I recalled seeing in little kids when they got excited over something amazing. While it was kinda odd looking at a princess act like a little child when most rules would sat she would need to be refined and with poise, at all times I can tell she was being truthful with herself and her feelings and that's all that counts.

"Bravo, bravo Ikuchi. I had no doubt about it." I replied while applauding her efforts proudly, "With those 2 cards you're one step closer to mastering the extra deck summoning methods. This I'm sure of."

"Yay! Thank you very much!" she cheered before looking at me and then regained her composure with her cheeks blushing with embarrassment, "I…I'm sorry Ryuga. I know as princess I should act much more mature and refined in front of others, but…I just couldn't contain my excitement nor can I wait for what else you have planned next."

"Haha what's there to be sorry about?" I replied with a smile, "You're just being honest with yourself and there's nothing wrong with that at all. In fact I'm more than willing to teach you what I know, now that you've already taken the first step." I said in response before noticing the evening sun peering throguh the cave entrance, "But, since it's getting pretty late how about we call it a night and see continue where we left off tomorrow. Can't let your other know you've been out of the palace grounds for nearly the entire day."

"Hmmm fair enough. I have learnt a fair deal from you today and acquired a pair of new friends to play with! If things continue like this then I'm in no hurry." she replied in agreement. After finding Fafnir again, we took off into the air like before, only this time, the scenery now had the setting sun which was a marvellous spectacle for Ikuchi, as she ever once had a glimpse as close to her as this. As night began to fall and stars started appearing, she became even more overwhelmed with emotion to see them shines like jewels in the sky. Very soon we landed at the base of the castle just behind the main entrance. Fortunately for us most of the guards had already returned to their quarters as the next shift and guard exchange was beginning to take place, meaning we had at least half an hour to go in unnoticed.

As we walked along the grassy path back to the castle's back door, "Hey Ryuga," she then added while facing me sincerely, "I've been thinking carefully about today and everything you've shown me, and what you helped me accomplish. I sincerely thank you, for it's been a great honour to meet you and to have you teach all these incredible new things beyond the walls of my kingdom." she thanked while bowing down in respect.

"It's really nothing Ikuchi." I chuckled while scratching my head, "When I see someone who really wants to learn and improve themselves, I just can't see any reason why they shouldn't be allowed to, especially if they come to me for that help and advice. Also, I can tell you're passionate and willing to do anything it takes to reach a goal once you set your mind on it, as well as not being above asking for others too. You don't just have pride and honour of a royal princess, you also have the humility to admit when you need to grow and you even have the courage and resolve to see it through to the end as well. And I couldn't be more proud to take such a person under my wing." I said proudly as we just arrived at the door.

"That means much to me," she replied before stopping in her tracks, "I really wish my father would just have the same kind of belief in me like you do. So thank you very much for giving me that as well, it's definitely helped me feel more confident in myself and I have an idea of what I really am capable of. I will definitely use today as a stepping stone and move forward from it, and I'll never forget the one who helped me set foot on this path." she said looking at me intently, "I may not have anything to give you in return right now, but…I hope this is enough." She then leaned in close and pecked my cheek! At that moment I almost felt myself black out and freeze in place, "Good night. See you tomorrow." she replied as she headed inside.

I on the other hand took a while in order to regain sense of awareness, but once I recalled what had occurred, I then smiled as I placed a hand over where she kissed taking it as a sign of her opening her heart. I soon noticed 3 dragons appear behind me, one with her wings covering her mouth and the other 2 grinning.

"Aww that's just adorable and priceless!" Tiamat laughed, "Seeing our noble and stoic master show oft-heartedness is a most rare moment indeed."

"Young love is just so romantic isn't it?" Fafnir followed, "You know if you need advice in wooing her over, I'm more than happy to give it to you." she sang joyfully.

I then turned to them with a mild scowl, "Knock it off you guys. Surely you're all way more mature than this…." I huffed slightly embarrassed as I followed her inside.

"And he's back to normal…." Jormangandr concluded as they all returned to my deck.

 **(Meanwhile)**

Little did we know was then from an open window in one of the higher towers, King Avalon had been spying on our conversation using an ancient telescope from the window. Very soon, he was joined by another man with him, "Jilen, when did you know about this?" he asked seriously.

"Only just yesterday my liege." The captain replied while bowing respectfully, "I was merely performing a routine patrol and sweep of the castle grounds for anything or anyone suspicious. It was only by chance that I stumbled upon both Ryuga and Ikuchi by chance in the forest glade just outside of the palace grounds. I also learnt that the princess makes regular visits to that place in order to interact and play with the spirits she meets, most of which were the ones you forbade her to see again after 'the night'." he stated.

He then turned towards Jilen while narrowing his eyes and hardening his old face, "Why didn't you inform me of this immediately? You do realise what the consequences of disloyalty are don't you?"

"Forgive me my lord, but with the many events and meetings you were attending to the entire day, I didn't want to add to your already many burdens. But you can be assured that I truly did intend to tell you in due time, though the opportunity didn't present itself until now." Jilen replied as politely as he could while showing no signs of fear or worry on his face.

Avalon then clenched his fist hard, "How dare he take advantage of my generosity and get so intimately close to my daughter!?" he growled furiously at the thought such acts were committed behind his back, "I made a mistake allowing him freedom around my own castle, dropped my guard around my daughter's security and this was the result. But not this time, now I shall-"

"My king," Jilen spoke out interrupting the King before his overreactive emotions and insecurity would drive him to making a rash and impulsive decision, "I mean not to offend you so if I may speak?"

"Hmm…Very well, you may speak but make it quick." Avalon replied.

"Very well, ever since you appointed me as Lady ikuchi's personal bodyguard I have spent plenty of time in her presence since the days of her childhood. And I do not mean to boast, but during my many years of watching over her, I believe I may know her heart much more than you do." he stated as Avalon then looked upon himself to remember when was the last time he actually spent quality tome with Ikuchi, "I understand you have done everything you thought best to protect her, shield her, and raise her. But keeping her shackled and chained to the confines of Norvagen, and isolating her from all contact or even the world for all eternity isn't the way, even in death I highly doubt the queen would approve of the actions you have taken." Jilen continued before looking at a portrait behind them, which was complete a complete family portrait with a younger King Avalon, baby Ikuchi in his arms, and her loving mother (Shaded) in a complete shot. "The poor girl has already lost her mother and you caging her will only deepen her feelings of sadness and neglect."

Avalon then sighed reflecting what he had done since many years ago. He did many things he knew who hurt the bond between his and his daughter like having her supervised almost everywhere she went and forbidding her contact with anyone outside the castle. He always believed that as long as she was safe and didn't share the same fate as her mother, it was the right thing to do. But now looking back on it, he wasn't so sure anymore.

Jilen then continued vouching for Ikuchi's decision, "As for what she is doing with Ryuga, I see no wrong with their relationship and I also believe this is a chance for young Ikuchi to finally spread her wings and grow. But for it to be effective, she will require freedom and absence of the constant supervision you were always subjecting her to." King Avalon said nothing in response, for the words of his daughter's bodyguard had cut deep into his heart like sharp daggers hitting the weakest points on a target, "Think about it my lord, you won't always be around to protect her and you know it. The best you can do is prepare her for the future, I'm sure deep down even you know this my lord, and that the time where she may need to experience the world is inevitable."

After saying nothing for a moment, the silence from the great king was broken, "What would you do if you were in my position Jilen?" Avalon asked in response.

"Hmmm, personally I would have at least a little more faith in the young mistress and her choices. She should be allowed the chance to follow her heart and make her own choices for once. It's best for her to learn by herself, rather than have all her lessons handed to her when she hasn't yet proven herself worthy of them." Jilen replied after giving some careful thought before turning around, "But in any case, I am not in your position. Still, whatever you choose to do I will stand by your side and support your choice. I only ask that you heed my words and respect what she decides for herself, after all she is no doll but a living human being." After that last sentence he walked off down the corridor leaving the old king to his thoughts.

( **Ryuga POV)**

The next few days went on as if nothing was any different, and thanks to those 2 special monsters Fafnir helped tracked down, the lessons passed by almost like a breeze. Though she still made a few mistakes here and there like forgetting the abilities of her monsters or even putting her monsters in her main deck rather than the extra deck case I gave her, she never once repeated the same mistake twice and her capabilities exceeded my expectations. I didn't have what I needed to teach more advanced techniques like rank-up or accel synchro but she didn't mind as performing a new summon, even if it was only basic, was all she could ask for.

BOOM!

A huge cloud of dust had erupted at the glade when she and I were having a little sparring duel for practice. From within it, 3 shadowed monsters could be seen. The first resembled a large plesiosaur with a bulky body and a cannon shaped head and long whip like tail. The second was a large serpentine dragon with armoured rocky scales and spikes, along with a cetacean tail. The third resembled a large mermaid wearing body armour. As the dust cleared however, all 3 monsters vanished and emerging from it was Ikuchi who had just deactivated her diadhank.

"Whistle* It's been nearly a week, and I must say Ikuchi, I've never expected you to improve in such a short span of time. You should be really proud of yourself." I said complimenting her efforts on finally performing a successful consecutive special summon.

"Hey hee! Well I've had a great teacher." she laughed, "So then, now that I've got those 3 methods covered, when can we move on to pendulum summoning?"

I then remembered, "Oh…Pendulum….Umm well…." I then scratched my head unsure of what to say.

"Is something wrong?" she asked curiously.

"Well you see, I know you really want to learn pendulum summoning but…in order to do that you would need pendulum cards to be placed in your duel disk's pendulum zones." I said as I showed her my duel disk and then held out her diadhank, "But in your case…I don't think your diadhank has the right…compatiability for it. So….I'm afraid that I won't be able to effectively teach you pendulum, at least not while I'm here in the ritual dimension."

"Oh I see…." she replied softly before smiling undeterred, "That's alright though, there's no need to feel bad at all." she replied which surprised me because I was kinda expecting her to feel more displeased.

"Y…you're not disappointed at all?" I asked.

She shook her head in response, "I've already learnt all sorts of new things I never once dreamt of or even thought possible thanks to you, so if I were to ask for pendulum summoning then I'd be asking for too much! You've already done so much and sacrificed much of your time just to help me on my request to learn and grow….and I'll always be grateful for it too." It was then I realised that it wasn't just her skills that had grown over the course of my training, she even learnt to mature and understand about being content with what you have. Seeing her grow from what she used to be, from what was merely a week ago, into the girl she is now had touched my heart deeply. What she said next though, made me rethink about my presence in the ritual dimension. "I'd really love it if you could stay here as well. I'm sure the people of Norvagen would really love it if you could help not only open them up to the new summoning techniques, but also teach them about the unity between monsters and duelists. I am sure you have much to teach them and we have so much to learn from you."

"Yeah….that would be great I guess…." I thought to myself without saying a word, for I didn't want to hurt her feelings by saying anything that may rub her the wrong way.

"I take your silence is because you're completely overwhelmed are you? Hee hee!" she giggled.

"Err…yeah…I mean who would actually pass up a chance to stay here in this world….With all these great people and monsters living among you in everyday life. What's there not to like?" I replied trying to fake the best smile I could.

"Well, I know it's much to think about but there's no need to now." she added, "After all, you'll have all the time in the world to think about it!" she cheered excited to have me as a friend and as something to look forward to each day.

"Wish it were true…." I thought to myself regretfully after she said that.

"Alright then see you tomorrow! Goodbye!" She said as she headed back home to the palace before me, while I trailed behind her. I intentionally stayed far behind her so I wouldn't let my disappointment and conflicting feelings be made known to her.

As it turned dark, only the lights from the castle shone as my guide back. It was then Bahamut decided to appear before me, and to have a one to one talk between the 2 of us as he knew exactly what was on my mind."You're thinking about home aren't you Ryuga?"

"How could I not? I never stopped thinking about going back ever since we were stuck here in the first place." I replied with a small smile to my old friend while I looked around the palace grounds and the towns beyond the castle gates and walls, "This kingdom and world is beautiful and all, there's really no way you can deny it. It's also really amazing having monsters which you normally see in your cards, interact and live amongst you outside of a duel and in everyday life as well. And I know helping Ikuchi get stronger and find herself was great too." My smile then vanished as it turned into a light frown of sadness, "But, the fact remains that we need to find a way to get back home. In fact….Yuya, Yuzu, Shuzo, Yoko, Yusho and everyone else, they're waiting for us to come back. It's been so long already, by now if Reiji hasn't told them anything they must be worried sick." Me missing my friends and having them worry about me in their every waking moments was beginning to develop into a heavy feeling on my heart. In fact just the thought of possibly never seeing them again made me shed a few large tears from my eyes in response.

"We'll find a way back, I promise." he said as he lowered his head to me, "Lift your head high Ryuga, for it isn't what your friends back home would want. After all, they'll never give up on you, and so you shouldn't give up on yourself either. And not just them, you will have us by your side to the end of time." he said firmly referring to himself and my other old partners that have been with me since the beginning of my journey here.

"Thanks, I don't know what I would do if I didn't have friends like you by my side….." I replied feeling stronger and more fired up, "I can't give up and never will! And even if we can't find a way back from here, I'm sure our friends will pull through for us! We just have to keep having faith and never stop trying! The day I do quit is the day I give up hope and on duelling!"

"Now that's the dragon emperor I know." Bahamut replied proudly before deciding to reveal a small secret he had been keeping from me, "You know Ryuga, while this may sound very strange, I believe that if we continue to help Ikuchi grow stronger, the path back to the other 4 dimensions will surely open up for us."

"How so? How will she be able to get us back home to the pendulum dimension and Maiami city?" I asked curiously and finding the statement odd.

"It's….a hunch as you humans would call it." he replied in an unconfident tone but still feeling sure of himself, "I'll admit cannot describe it or be sure if it would even work, but, I am willing to go with what my heart is telling me, and it's telling me that Ikuchi may be our best way to return home safely." he stated, "I know it is very hard to accept, but I sincerely believe that she can be the one to bring us back once we help her complete her own journey. So….will you trust in me once more?"

I then thought it over for a few more moments before nodding in agreement, sure it may be risky to gamble on hunches or gut feelings but it was the only course of action we could take at the moment. "Well bahamut, what have we to lose." I replied having made my decision to trust him, " I mean you've never actually misled us once, everything you did so in complete assurance and belief that it is the right decision. I've always trusted in you and there's no reason why I shouldn't now.

"Thank you Ryuga. As always it eases me to see you putting your faith in me without any fear or distrust." he replied gladly.

After settling the matter I continued back at a much faster pace feeling more determined than before, "Come, let's go back to the palace. It's getting late and I hear the King's chefs are about to serve Lion Alligator Steaks tonight and I have no intention of missing out on them." I said eagerly as I ran back to the castle gate. Little did we realise, a stealth bird which was hiding in the trees was watching our every move since the very start of our practice. It then spread its wings and silently took to the air without making a sound, like a bird of prey on the hunt.

 **(Meanwhile)**

The stealth bird had returned back to the main castle, and headed through a certain window in a secluded tower of the palace. Entering inside a room which appeared to resemble an old alchemy room. It had various books on shelves holding records, archives, spells and research notes along with a wooden desk with various chemicals and lab apparatus. The stealth bird landed on a small bird stand which was near a large cauldron filled with bluish liquid, and the master who came before him was none other than Lord Enigma, who had just entered the room and met with his pet.

"Report." he ordered. As he commanded the bird screeched before projecting a kind of vision from its eyes into the cauldron, and it revealed every single action and detail of what had been going on between Ryuga and Princess Ikuchi over the past few days! Upon witnessing all those events, the old sage grit his teeth in frustration before barging out of the room furiously. The slamming of the door behind him was strong enough to shake his book shelves and even cause a few of his test tubes and chemicals to shatter on the ground!

In his throne room, Avalon sat upon his throne in deep thought while closing his eyes, only to be awoken by the sudden sound of loud shouting, "My Lord!"

As he opened his eyes he saw his chief advisor and prime minister present himself before him in a rather displeased manner, "Enigma? Why do you call for me in such a loud tone of voice?" he asked.

Enigma managed to issue enough self-restraint on himself to imitate a small bow before getting to the point, "Sire, what is the meaning of this….outrage!?" he yelled.

"I am…afraid I do not quite follow." Avalon replied.

"Do you not realise what has been going on behind your back?" the cloaked advisor replied, "Your esteemed guest Ryuga has been taking advantage of you without you knowing it! He spends the mornings meeting up with the princess and they duel together in the forest glade which you forbade her from ever setting foot in for years!"

"Wait, you knew all along!?"

"For quite sometime actually. In fact I have been observing the 2 of them for a while now and I have noticed a number of interesting developments."

Enigma couldn't believe what he had just heard, "How could you sit by and allow that…..outsider take advantage of you sir!?" he exclaimed, "Don't you worry about the nonsense and ridiculous ideas that he may fill her mind with!? He will no doubt taint the purity and customs of our pristine kingdom with his foreign ways which have no place here!" Enigma yelled as he continued to protest ever more so, "Not only that…. you allowed him to get so…close to the princess and my queen to be!? Don't forget he is but a visitor and he should know his place! By committing such an act you should have him banished immediately from Norvagen, or better yet executed! Why you would turn a blind eye to such an…outrageous action as well as jeopardising the safety of Norvagen is beyond me!"

Avalon remained silent for a moment before lowering his head in disappointment, "Enigma, I cannot deny your loyal service and concern for the kingdom of Norvagen and will always respect you with all my heart for that. However, it also thanks to Ryuga that I realised we cannot keep living in the past and close ourselves from the outside, otherwise we will never be able to truly move on from that day and we will forever be controlled by what has happened then rather than prepare for later. Furthermore, for the first time ever I have seen complete and utter joy in Ikuchi's eyes, pure and sincere, something I have never seen once since the night her mother perished. And I have Ryuga to thank for that." He said firmly, "Therefore I will do nothing of the sort, and I shall allow him to continue on with what he has been doing so far, which is bringing new possibilities for Norvagen and helping my daughter Ikuchi continue to grow into the person she was destined to be."

"Sire! You can't do this! You're making a huge mistake!" Enigma yelled back in response.

"No Enigma, for the first time I know what I'm doing is the right decision. The only mistakes I ever made was not realising this sooner." he replied shaking his head, "And that is final!" he shouted to his advisor's anger, "While you are still promised my daughter's hand thanks to what you accomplished, I haven't forgotten how you used that as an excuse to not only abuse your authority but also to take advantage of many others in the kingdom and palace time and time again. I believe you are the one who should be wise to remember his place." he stated pointing at Enigma, "Your service is indeed most valuable and noteworthy, but not irreplaceable." He then snapped his fingers and a pair of blade knights entered the room, and they immediately seized him!

"Wh…what is this!? Unhand me at once!" he yelled furiously trying to wrestle out of their grip but to no avail.

"Guards, escort him back to his quarters. I do not want to hear another word from him for the rest of today." he ordered as they began to drag him away, "As for you Enigma, this conversation is over." he said to him as a few parting words.

Enigma however had a few parting words of his own, "Tch! Mark my words you senile old man! You will regret not heeding my warning! You hear me! You will rue the day you ever denied me!" he screamed as the doors he was pulled behind closed shut.

 **(Next day)**

The next morning, the day began as it already had for the past few days. As I headed out to our usual meeting place, in my mind, after thinking over what Bahamut and I discussed the other day, I believed the time had come for something a little more advanced and serious than what we have been doing till now, "Good morning Ikuchi," I said greeting her as I went to meet her out at the back entrance of the castle.

"Good morning Ryuga." She replied brightly, "So what will we be going over today?" she asked rather eagerly as usual.

"About that," I said, "It's already been many days, and I think you've already had enough practice. Today I believe is the time for a real test to see how far you've actually come." I then held out my duel disk, "Think you're up to the challenge?"

She then smiled confidently, "Oh, I've been waiting for a rematch ever since you beat me. This time however, I promise you things will be different!" She stated confidently as she held out her diadhank and readied the extra deck container on the side of her inner dress.

We were both about to head into the forest glade for our match when an unexpected voice spoke out from nowhere, "Going somewhere this early in the morning you two?" When we both turned we found a pair of command knights walking towards us from around the corner.

We both were then overcame with shock, "G….Guards!" Ikuchi gasped while I kept my mouth shut for obvious reasons, "I…I can explain!"

One knight then held out a hand telling her to cease speaking, "I'm afraid you will have to reschedule whatever plans you have made for the day my lady Ikuchi and Lord Ryuga." she said.

"The king wishes to see you both in person….immediately." the other added firmly.

"My father?" Ikuchi asked curiously and she was answered with a firm nod by both knights, "What does he want?"

"You need not know, all that matters is that you come with us now." The first knight replied.

"We will accept no other answer but yes, do you understand?" The other followed.

Ikuchi then tried to speak up, "But-"

"Of course. We wouldn't think of disobeying a request from the king." I said interrupting her and I turned to her face, "If it's a direct order from your father, the king, we can't go against it without any….consequences. We should at least see what he wants from us and get it over with." I said clearly.

Ikuchi thought it over before deciding to submit to her guards' request, "I suppose, though I hope it isn't anything serious."

"Same here…." I followed feeling just as nervous.

Ikuchi then stepped forward, "Take us to him."

Both knights smiled, "We are glad you were able to see things our way your highness." They then escorted us through the back door and we walked through the ancient halls and long corridors until we found ourselves in the presence of King Avalon himself, who sat imposingly as he always had upon his throne, "Your highness, as you requested both the princess and the dragon tamer Ryuga are now in your presence." They said kneeling down.

"You may leave us." Avalon ordered as both knight escorts bowed before showing themselves out. The 3 of us stood for a long moment and the room was filled completely with silence. The tension was so think I could feel it weighing heavily upon my shoulders! I noticed Avalon had a most serious expression on his face so I could tell he wasn't in the mood for any games. I knew that one wrong word would result in heavy consequences so I tried my best to find something respectful to start with, but the pressure was so intense I just couldn't get myself together to find the right thing to say.

Knowing we wouldn't get anywhere at this rate, Ikuchi took the initiative by starting with something unexpected and complete direct, "Good morning father!" Ikuchi said out loud brightly with her usual smile, "Do what pleasure do I owe you today to be in your presence?" She said hoping to lighten the mood in the room and that her father didn't suspect anything.

I then sweat dropped at her commendable yet seemingly obvious effort to put up a nice front, "Oh sure, nothing suspicious here….Ikuchi, you're going to get us both in trouble…." I cursed inwardly.

Avalon then held out a hand, "You may skip the pleasantries dear daughter, it is time you both come clean with me." Ikuchi's smile vanished and she began preparing her heart for whatever her father was prepared to throw at them, "Do you both actually take me for an ignorant fool? Did you really believe that I wouldn't notice you sneaking behind my watch every morning and night into that glade behind my own castle?" I felt my heart skip a beat at that remark and I almost wished that my soul would just leave my body now."I have been wise to your actions for quite some time now. Though I know not of how, but not only did you sneak to of the castle behind my back and deceived me about what you have done. You also went against my orders not to interact with duel monster spirits, and what's more you even had special 'lessons' taught by Ryuga, who is but merely a visiting guest from another world." He said as he stood up from his throne, looking ever more imposing, "Surely a royal princess of your caliber would know better than to associate yourself with an outsider to our world, let alone trouble him with your own selfish requests. Frankly, I could have issued an order at any time, the only reason that prevented me from doing so was that I allowed you to carry on so."

"Oh dear….now we're really busted…" I sweated as I began to panic over what he could do to us, I also grit my teeth in worry that all our efforts and hard work would be met with ridicule. But still, I waited for what else may happen next.

"So you…knew the entire time….I…I'm truly sorry father." Ikuchi said lowering her head and making us both turn to her, "Believe me I really wanted to tell you, but each time I tired I feared that you would impose even stricter constraints on me or Ryuga, or worse, you may even locked him in the prison for a thousand years or even feed him to the dungeon worms!" she cried.

My eyes widened in shock, "He can do that!?" I screamed internally, also it made me worry about what other torturous punishments or monsters he would throw me into….

Luckily Ikuchi continued to vouch for and support me, as she opened her eyes firmly and looking more determined and strong, "But I…I didn't want him to suffer because of me, and I honestly have no regrets for what I did earlier. I have learnt so many things, thanks to Ryuga. In fact, he showed me many new things I never even dreamt were possible, in fact I even see new possibilities for Norvagen should we join hands with the outside worlds beyond! I myself have grown stronger and will willingly fight to help make a Norvagen a true utopia for monsters and humans alike." She said firmly, with beads of tears beginning to form in her eyes but she would not give in to sadness. "The fact is I am also responsible for this as well, for I asked him to! So if you punish him I demand that I suffer the same consequences as he does!"

"Is she actually standing up to him after already knowing what he can do!? That takes a lot of guts!" I saw her speaking with such energy and resolve, she refused to back down from what she believed in and was willing to do whatever it took to protect them. I then saw Avalon look on somewhat surprised by what he heard from his usually submissive daughter, and then he turned to me and back to Ikuchi without saying another word, "Oh boy this could end badly…." I thought to myself anxiously awaiting what he would do.

"I see you've definitely learnt…new things from this boy Ryuga, my dear daughter." he said eying me before focusing back on her, "You even worked up the courage to stand up to and even defy me. You are the first ever person in my kingdom to commit such an act."

"And for that….." He then turned to me.

I closed my eyes ready to take in whatever berating or punishment the old man was willing to dish out, "Oh boy here it comes…."

His serious facial expression broke into a light smile, "You have my deepest thanks young Ryuga." As soon as he uttered those words we were both completely taken aback by surprise.

"Wait so….you're not mad at us? Even after what we did behind your backs or against your will?" I asked.

"Not at all, in fact it's quite the opposite." He shook his head in response, "While I would loathe to admit it, I actually took a delight in following your efforts to helping my precious daughter grow so much." He said looking towards a bewildered Ikuchi, "My daughter, I admit I was wrong." he said lowering his head in sadness, "Everything I did since that night, I believed it was the right thing as long as you would be safe from the monsters that took your mother away, for I swore to myself I would never let you suffer the same fate….But now I realise that I was cutting you off from the outside world and the many good things it also had, as well as hindering your growth into a true heir. I now see, as both king and your father, that I had been dwelling in past events that I never once gave any thought for the kingdom's, no, your future."

"Father….you really did care…." Ikuchi breathed in astonishment at the stunning confession.

"Daughter." he looked up into her eyes, "Will you….forgive this old fool for everything he has wrongly subjected you to? For being naive and short-sighted? For failing you as a father?" he asked.

Tears began welling up in her eyes as she embraced him with a hug, "Father….There's nothing to forgive. I understand you only did it because you cared and loved me, and that was the only way you knew how. But….that is all in the past now, if we continue to dwell in it and refuse to move on, we'll lose sight of what may be a wonderful future to come. So…will you be willing to forgive me as well for hating you, and put our tragic past behind us?"

Avalon then wiped away a tear from his eye and nodded, "Y..Yes Ikuchi, I will."

I then sniffled myself at such an impactful and wondrous moment unraveling before my eyes. I literally had no words to describe this reconciliation between parent and child, and was glad to have played such a significant role in this.

The king then released Ikuchi from his embracing hug before looking to me, "Ryuga, I thank you very much for helping my beloved daughter to grow into a fine woman. For that you have my deepest thanks and highest respects."

"I am grateful your majesty for your kind words. Nothing could have made me even more proud to receive your approval and to have trained your daughter to become who she is now." I said in response feeling honoured deeply that I finally earned the king's respects.

"Ryuga…." Ikuchi breathed relieved as she clasped her hands together knowing she can rest easy now.

"Well said young man, however despite all you have already done, I still have but one request from you." he then said catching our attention. After clearing his throat, the next few words he uttered were abut to blow me completely off my feet, "Would you be willing to stay here in my kingdom Norvagen and call it your home?"

"Wh…what!? Stay here!?" I gasped in alarm.

"Father!?" Ikuchi followed, for these words were the last she'd expect coming from her usually stoic father.

"Actually, to be precise will you be willing serve under me? With those dragons under your command and the great knowledge you can bestow upon us all, you can bring about a new golden age for our world!" he added on to our bewilderment.

"S…serve under you? But…I'm still just a kid right?" I asked nervously.

"While it is true you are still very young, I know for certain that you do possess a special gift inside you which makes you more than worthy." he replied, "In fact, that day when you and my mightiest warrior Jilen, duelled in the arena of battle, I saw something in you that I have not seen for many decades. The union and bond between human and monster, you have such a gift that enables you to understand the hearts of monsters and therefore unlocking the full potential of both sides which neither could ever do alone. Remembering your stunning performance that day actually gave me hope, no, a vision, that the 2 factions of monster and human, that have existed separately for so long, may actually be rejoined together once again." He said, "Because of what you inspired, I swear that the valour you display in combat shall be honoured like any pure born Norvagen warrior. In fact, I will treat you most respectfully, equal even to the highest nobles of my kingdom. So, what do you say young man? Will you accept my humble offer?" he asked as he held out a hand hoping for my acceptance.

I saw Ikuchi look to me with pleading eyes hoping I would take the offer, and I had to admit it was a worthwhile offer unlike any other…..but…."Well your majesty, I can't say I'm not flattered by your request." I said, "I know it must have been hard to trust an outsider to your world as an equal of your caliber but I am grateful that you were able to extend your hand of generosity and friendship to me, as well as open your heart as well." I said with a smile before taking my hand away from his, "And…I am deeply regretful to say this but, I'm afraid I'll have to refuse your generous offer to stay here."

"Wh…what?" Hearing my answer apparently devastated Ikuchi, as hard as it was for me I knew I had to do it.

My response came as a huge surprise to both members of the royal family, "I beg your pardon? You would refuse to serve under me and my glorious kingdom?" Avalon questioned.

The next few words I spoke out were really painful to let out on my end, "I'm honoured you would ask and I'm certain that an offer like this will never come again." I continued.

"Then…why would you refuse? Great riches can be yours with a single word and power and authority for you to command will merely be within arm's reach! So why would you turn it down?" Avalon asked once more.

I then swallowed hard ready to answer back, "Well you see…the reason is because I already have a home I need to get back to." I answered, "I believe I mentioned once, that I came here from another world and I have a home I need to get back to. And not just that, I have many friends and family awaiting my return back there, and I do not wish to subject them to continued and endless worry about my wellbeing. They mean much more to me than any kind of material wealth and I will never trade them or turn my back on them for anything." I said firmly, "And that is my answer and I…hope you can understand."

Both of them were speechless at my response, and after a short moment Avalon then gained a smile on his face, "Indeed I do young man. And I completely respect your choice, which is a most honourable one, I couldn't be more proud to see such selflessness in a youth such as yourself." Avalon replied with a glad expression while Ikuchi did her best to hold back her tears and convincing herself it was the right thing to do, "Very well Ryuga, I will accept your reasoning. But know this, should you ever return to the ritual dimension, you will always be welcome here in my sovereign kingdom." he replied.

"I am truly grateful for that your highness." I said doing another bow, "And thank you for allowing me the chance to learn about your world, kingdom and hospitality. I am sure my friends and family back home would love to hear about everything I have experienced."

"You certainly will have plenty of great stories to bring back home with," Avalon laughed joyfully, "And you can be sure you won't undertake your quest to return alone."

"Huh?" I looked up in confusion.

"Know this, as a token of my appreciation I shall grant you a royal escort and our greatest sorcerers to aid you in you in finding a way to return to the world you came from. It is merely the least I can do after showing us a wonderful new future we can work towards." he said generously.

I couldn't believe what I just heard, "Wow King Avalon! I…I don't know what to say…" I relied once again stunned by his sheer and sincere generosity.

"No thanks are necessary young man, after all it is merely natural to repay kindness with even more kindness." he stated before turning to his sad daughter and back to me, "Although, I do hope you would at least stay for one more night and enjoy the upcoming festivities!"

"Festivities?" I asked curiously.

He then cleared his throat, "Tonight is the night of the 2 stars, as well as my daughter's 15th birthday." he answered.

"Y…Your birthday?" I asked Ikuchi surprised to hear that.

She then gasped, "Father! You….you actually remembered!? After all these years when you refused to celebrate…."

The old king then chuckled, "Of course, you are my daughter and the rightful heir to my throne one day. After all what kind of father would I be if I didn't remember such important times, in fact this may be the most important one of all, for it is when we shall put behind the dark past and move on with the hope of a bright new future." he said proudly.

Once more she became choked with tears, only this time they were made with purest joy, "Th…thank you very much! It means much to me to see that you really do care!" she cried as she gave her father another warm hug. After her father returned her love he then looked towards me and held out his hand once more.

"You are welcome to stay as well Ryuga. I humbly ask you of that at least." Avalon once more requested.

"Please stay!" she begged before shaming her head, "I mean….You may never have another chance to see Norvagen again, so tonight will be a memory and experience to take back with you home, so will never forget about…all of us." she said looking at me with purest eyes.

Seeing how intent they were on having me stay, I felt obliged to accept and seeing how it wouldn't hurt to stay a little bit longer in a kingdom that would soon change for the better, I aw no reason in refusing. "Sure why not." I replied politely, "After all its not as if I am in a hurry to go. I'm sure going to miss this incredible place when I head off tomorrow morning, but at least tonight I will be able to get a good experience to remember it by and have as a wonderful sendoff. So I definitely will be looking forward to it." I then shook hands with him on that.

"Hooray!" Ikuchi cheered, happy that I wasn't about to leave so soon.

"Then it's settled!" Avalon announced, "Tonight shall be a night of the 2 stars unlike any other! In the past we have always looked to it with fear and as a horrible reminder of the great tragedy we all suffered once. But no more, tonight that all ends and we shall celebrate the revived union between human and monster now and forever!" he proclaimed loudly as Ikuchi and I cheered and applauded in response of his incredible declaration.

In one shaded corner of the throne room, Captain Jilen had been secretly eavesdropping on our entire conversation and needless to say, the outcome was more than what he had hoped for. He then smiled gladly before silently taking his leave. However, unbeknownst to us, Enigma's stealth bird was using a cloaking ability to listen in on us as well flying above near the upper stands, and everything it observed with its fearsome predatory eyes was being reflected in a mystical shine ball that was being utilised by Enigma, who growled furiously before tossing it aside and causing it to smash into pieces!

"AAAARRRGGGHH!" he screamed as he began to overthrow his desks and bookshelves in anger before panting hard out of exhaustion.

While he did so, a male figure, with only his mouth showing underneath the hood of a deep red cloak which covered nearly his entire body except for his hands, entered the room from the entrance to the room. "Master Enigma, you appear to be deeply troubled. Would you like me to fetch you some warm ginseng tea to help ease your stress and fatigue?" he asked considerately.

"I am fine Prometheus." his master replied before regaining his usual composure, "I assume you have given our 'experts' the reward that they rightfully deserved for failing?"

"You can be assured of it master." The man in the red cloak responded with a smirk and a bow, "After all, we can't possibly allow anyone to trace the origin of their failed capture attempt back to us now can we."

"At least there is some good which has come of today." His master replied in acknowledgment. He then looked back to the shattered pieces of the crystal ball before slamming his fist on a nearby deck, "Tch! It's bad enough those incompetent imbeciles failed in their measly task to capture one lone princess, right when she was most vulnerable and easy for the taking, but now that pompous old relic intends to grant that arrogant brat the honour and privilege I so tenaciously worked towards, on the night of the 2 stars even! This is a complete outrage!" he yelled at the top of his lungs.

"What is there to worry about master?" Prometheus replied calmly, "It is still set in stone that you are promised the princess' hand in marriage and once that child leaves Norvagen, everything will be as it once was, the people will soon forget he was even present in the first place. Surely the king wouldn't possibly go through with his beliefs after the last time the night of the 2 stars were celebrated."

"I cannot afford to take any chances!" Enigma yelled back which made his servant back off nervously, "Tch! Knowing how easily that fool's feeble mind and heart are swayed as they were during that incident years ago, which we so elegantly orchestrated, it won't be long before he makes that child heir to his throne and I am left behind like forgotten dust in the wind!" he ranted as he tightened his fist in a hard grip as well as gnashing his teeth like an enraged animal, "Sooner or later monsters will be running free from the card tablets I worked so hard to create, and all our efforts to take the throne and rule over an ideal world will all be for nothing! I refuse to let all that hard work, sacrifice and wasted years of agonising service under that pompous fool, be taken away by the actions of a mere child!" he screamed with venom in his words before breathing heavily from exhaustion.

After his rage was beginning to subside, Prometheus decided it as the time seemed right to speak "So, what do you have in mind then master? Say the word and it shall be done."

Enigma began to ponder over possible choices of action, and taking into consideration the timing of events as well as the people present. Finally, after deciding on a certain one, a sinister girl stretched across his face, "Hehehe! Prometheus," he said.

"Yes my lord?"

"I believe it is time Ryuga just how welcome he truly is in the kingdom of Norvagen. In fact, I shall personally see to it that he earns the attention of the entire kingdom and they see him for who he truly is." he grinned maliciously at the thought of his most ingenious and diabolical scheme, he had ever designed in his life, coming into fruition, "In fact, I will give everyone a night to remember, a night so memorable it will make the pervious incident look more like a humiliating accident! Hahahaha!" he laughed before grinning once more, "I know exactly the kind of sendoff our guest deserves, a punishment that will perfectly for the crime of his interference in my plans." He then turned to his servant who was awaiting his orders, "Summon your sister Pandora. Inform her that I have a certain task I would like her to complete. We have much to do, and it's going to be a very….long night. Hehehehehe Ahahaahaahahaha!"

 **And there you have chapter 9, as Enigma begins to make his big move on the night of the 2 stars. What kind of plan does he have in store for young Ryuga and the kingdom of Norvagen? Stay tuned!**

 **As always hope you enjoyed it well and the plot and character development I've put into my OCs. The monsters described here that Ikuchi now has are all OC monsters that will make their debut in a later chapter, and were taken from a yugioh website with unofficial cards. (Same place where I made up Ogre head zombie from my previous story)**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Night had fallen upon the kingdom of Norvagen and the town was alive with the sounds of cheers and celebration, as the 2 bright stars in the dark sky began to align directly under the moon. All were excited to once again celebrate the night of the 2 stars, the time when monsters and humans in the ritual dimension had united together, though all but the oldest in the kingdom had better remembered it as the dark tragedy when the monsters ruined the peace and went on a rampage through the kingdom. Though it was a nightmare which haunted the souls of many since then, the fact that King Avalon had announced tonight's event as a most special one to end all of that, was enough reignite the warm joy buried deep in their hearts which they had long hoped to experience once more, along with the day their monster friends may walk amongst them as equals. However, it wasn't simply the celebration of the Princess' 15th birthday nor the soon-to be revived unity between monsters and humans that excited them the most, but because they were to join hands with those of another world where new friendships and experiences to be learnt were awaiting after tonight.

The town was filled with bright lights from torches and lanterns being hung out from homes or across streets to light the way, while the streets themselves were filled with dancing and singing. Stands once more being set up to commemorate the occasion and some monsters like Performance of sword, Goblin dancers or dancing fairies were, as their named stated, danced about in joy either in the streets or in the square where many had gathered. Others like thunder nyan nyan or spirit of the harp played music in order to lighten the mood, while everyone continued to share with each other be it in money, material possessions or emotion. All the townspeople enjoyed themselves so much until eventually the sounds of trumpets could be heard from the main palace gates! Upon hearing them, they all immediately knew it was time and so they all eagerly gathered at the gates before entering them in an orderly fashioned once they opened.

Tonight indeed was going to be a night to remember, but compared to what happened 10 years ago, the events that were about to take place would change everything in, not just Norvagen, but the entire world forever…..

 **(Meanwhile)**

I was in the royal kitchen (A rather fancy and high quality cooking area filled with top quality saucepans and cooking utensils hung on the walls, as well as sacks of the finest ingredients laid out at the walls), as told by King Avalon and believe me, no words could describe how high-strung I was at that moment. You'd have to be to really understand what I was going through, "Easy Ryuga….You can do this….Just one serving cup of wine is all it takes, then, we'll finally be official allies with the ritual dimension…." I thought myself while shivering with excitement and anxiety. Right now I was trying hard to set up the tray, cups and wine (Which were set beside a lustrous red curtain) before presenting them to the royal family tonight at the banquet hall.

Tonight was the night the king would give his formal decree of allegiance with the 4 dimensions but in order to properly and formerly earn their trust, Norvagen law states that the ambassador of the other country, or in this case world, will have to present the ceremonial wine of unity before King Avalon himself, which must then be accepted. As simple as it sounded, if not presented in the correct fashion, it will be seen as both unacceptable and as an offence, something which was keeping me on the edge ever since he stated it to me. Despite the encouragement he and Ikuchi gave me, as well as the advice from my 4 dragons I still couldn't help but feel somewhat paranoid at the thought of messing up since then. Bahamut and the others were 'getting ready' as they said inside my deck, and Tiamat and Fafnir being over conscious over looking their best for tonight's celebration, and thus they left me to settle this alone. After placing everything on the serving tray best I could I then looked hard and long at my work to make sure it was presentable and acceptable to their traditional customs.

In fact I was so focused on what was in front of my eyes I didn't notice I had a visitor come in from behind. "You seem really nervous, is anything of the problem?" I then jumped before turning around in surprise at the voice to find an unexpected figure walking in from the front door.

"Oi what was that for!?" I gasped. I then blinked to make sure I was seeing right because the person standing before me was the King's right hand, "Hey.…aren't you." I said while pointed out at him.

"Oh yes, I believe we may have gotten off on the wrong foot when we first met." he said respectfully before smiling warmly, "Well then, allow me to properly and formally introduce myself this time. I am Lord Enigma, prime minister of Norvagen and King Avalon's right hand, pleased to meet you 'Lord Ryuga'. How may I be of service?" he said as he lowered his head in respect.

"Wow…I'm not sure what to say…." I replied surprised at what I was just seeing, "Wait, I thought you didn't like me and kept calling me some sort of spy or invader? What's with the change of heart?" I questioned suspiciously.

"Ah yes about that, I do hope you would accept my….sincerest apologies young lord. Apparently I had misjudged you and your intentions for coming here to our fair kingdom of Norvagen." he said, "In fact, I came over to say congratulations on earning the highest favour of the king himself. It took me years to fully earn the king's complete respect and trust, you however managed to accomplish that very same task in merely a few days, which I find most commendable as an accomplishment." he said while bowing down once more, although I felt my eyes playing tricks on me I definitely heard what I heard.

"Whoa….really?" I said in surprise.

"Oh yes, I meant…exactly what I just said." he said while maintaining his bright smile, "In fact, also came to wish you good luck and really there's nothing to worry about. I assure you that you will do just fine, and I have every confidence you will not disappoint his royal highness tonight." I noticed his eye twitching and saw somewhat of a small scowl on his face, but then felt I may have been just seeing things.

"Th…thank you very much, I'm really honoured to hear you say that." I said nervously and unsure what to make of it. It was all so sudden and unexpected, that I didn't really know how to take it properly.

The way he responded next however was just as surprising, "Now now, the honour is all mine, there is no need to be so formal." he replied, "In fact it's really I who should be paying you respects." After that we both heard the sounds of trumpets coming from the castle gates, which signalled the time for the main event, "Oh dear would look at that, it's almost time. Don't let me keep you, now run along and make us all proud."

"Thank you very much. I'll do my very best to ensure we all have a night to celebrate." I nodded in response before calmingly taking in a breath before taking the entire tray set and making my way out to the banquet hall. "Maybe…I've been thinking about him the wrong way. He's actually…quite a decent guy I guess…." I thought to myself pleased to finally win him over after getting off on the wrong foot. But still, for him to have a change of heart so soon after being so defensive and untrusting of me since day one. In fact, his entire gesture seemed rather fake….I couldn't help but feel something wasn't quite right…..

After I had left, a woman in a black cloak came out from behind the red curtains where the tray originally was set. She then walked right up to Enigma and bowed, "It is done master." she said as she revealed a red glass cup in her hands which looked exactly the same as the one I had with me earlier.

Looking at it he then smirked, "Excellent work Pandora, you have performed admirably." he replied to her pleased.

A moment ago, while he was distracting Ryuga with his words of false praise and encouragement, his servant had secretly swapped the ceremonial wine glass, from behind the corner where the tray was left, with one that was completely identical to it in appearance, though with one single invisible but deadly difference.

"What happens next?" she asked while smiling feeling delighted with herself.

He then grinned maliciously, "Hehehehe! Now the main event begins….All we need to do, is simply watch and enjoy the show." he replied as he went to attend to the festivities, eager to witness his plan unravel before the entire kingdom on this very night.

 **(Later)**

Everyone gathered at the grand banquet hall and took their seats at the many tables prepared in the illustrious and dazzling room which had been cleaned and polished to perfection in its blue carpeted floor and white walls. The chandeliers shone like crystals as they gave off luminescent light and servants arriving out of the kitchens arrived to serve the many guests fine and delicious cuisine. On a higher level which overlooked the lower floor, was the dining table for the royal family where King Avalon and Ikuchi, dressed in their finest clothing, ate their own meals specially prepared by their finest chefs (Examples including Broiled mad lobster, roasted bacon saver, steamed 7 coloured fish and many other dishes set on the table). While I myself, still dressed in my usual clothes, joined them for the occasion as for the event that would soon take place once dinner was over. Noticing I was unusually quiet and that I barely picked up my utensils or even ate, "Is something wrong Ryuga?" Avalon asked which made me and Ikuchi both look up. Observing my plate, "Why you've barely touched your plate. Is the food not to your liking? If so, that can easily be arranged." He then raised his arm and prepared to snap his fingers to call for one of the royal chefs.

"No no! That's not it!" I interrupted while shaking my hands out and stopping him, "The food's great honest! Its just…well…hehe…." I then scratched my head nervously, unsure of what to respond with.

As if she had the ability to read my mind, Ikuchi then finished my sentence for me, "You're really nervous about tonight aren;t you? You're worried that you might accidentally make a mistake during the unification treaty ceremony and with everyone watching

"Eh? You know?" I asked somewhat surprised she knew.

"Hey hee, how could I not? Not to offend you or anything but it's pretty much written over your face." she grinned mischievously.

"Oh I see…." I replied.

"Ikuchi," Avalon said to her firmly, "Where are your manners? Surely by now you ought to be more respectful to others no matter your position, especially for one who will soon carry out tonight's grand event."

"Oops!" she gasped before bowing down to both of us, "I'm really sorry father, and to you of course Ryuga. I should have watched my tongue more closely."

"It's alright Ikuchi," I said humbly accepting her apology, "In fact that's exactly it, I really am nervous about carrying out the unification ceremony for tongiht. I mean

She then placed her hand on mind gently while looking at me into my eyes, "Don't worry Ryuga I believe in you." she said kindly, "Think of it this way, if you were able to fight bravely again Jilen in the arena, if you can teach me how to get stronger like we have been these past few days, as well as help us remember the close ties with monsters we once shared ages ago, I'm certain you'll pull this ceremony off with ease."

I then found my own jaw drop and myself speechless, she was right. If I could accomplish all that as well as earning the trust and support of the royal family and people here in the ritual dimension, surely I had nothing else to fear or worry about! I then experienced a wave of new courage flow through myself as I felt reenergised by new confidence in myself, "Thanks Ikuchi, and I have to say, after tonight I can't wait to see the new world that you'll soon watch over when you become queen."

"Hey hee, thank you very much." she giggled, "And when I do become queen I promise to not only rule with kindness but I will always hold you in highest honour and recognition."

Avalon then smiled at his daughter's answer, "That's my daughter. I couldn't be more proud of you," he then looked to me, "And you as well Ryuga for helping her grow and develop into who she is now. We truly are in your debt for helping us open our eyes to new possibilities as well as to never forget the beliefs and morals we once upheld."

"As always your words will always honour me your majesty," I responded with a nod before noticing something, "Huh? Where's Enigma?" I asked curiously after looking around and seeing he wasn't at the table with us.

"Hmm?" Ikuchi and Avalon turned to their side where the right hand would normally sit, only to find it was vacant. "How strange, he told me that he would be attending tonight's celebration and he still hasn't made an appearance." After talking so much about how he wanted to see me succeed in tonight's event, I was surprised he didn't show, not to mention how important tonight was.

"Perhaps he changed his mind?" Ikuchi asked.

"It's possible although….that does seem oddly out of character for him, considering how he always attends every important event or celebration in the kingdom." Avalon replied while stroking his chin and beard in thought.

"Sire, the entire kingdom has now eaten their fill and are now awaiting for you to grace them with your presence."

"How unfortunate, I suppose we have to start without him." Avalon muttered disappointed as he

"Good luck Ryuga, I'll be sure to root for you the moment it starts." Ikuchi whispered as she went with her father to speak out front. I waited patiently for my cue as the maids pushed in the tray with the entire wine set from the kitchen before leaving it in my care. Little did anyone know was that Enigma was laying low in the secluded corner of the room, hiding behind the wall in the shadows while carrying a devious smirk on his face. He knew this was now the time where his plan for control begins, so he awaited eagerly for the upcoming events he foreshadowed to unravel.

As Avalon stood above the upper platform which overlooked the rest of the hall, the people gathered underneath him and started muttering to one another about what may happen, before being silenced by the raising of his hand. "People of Norvagen!" He announced, "The heavens and our great goddess from above smile upon us all tonight. Since this very night years ago, we have been living in fear of the monsters that once walked among us as our allies, equals and comrades in arms, and now have been sealed and imprisoned within stone tablets and even to be mistreated, misused or even oppressed out of our own arrogance and fears. Because of that, we have greatly saddened our beloved goddess Leviathan, who founded our prestigious and prosperous kingdom, by foolishly turning our backs on everything we once upheld with pride and honour as well as having lost the love, trust and bonds we once had with our monsters." he said feeling disheartened which also earned some feelings of grief from the audience, "However that all ends tonight!" he suddenly spoke vigorously which earned many gasps from the people, "For thanks to the efforts of a certain young man who has travelled far and wide to reach us, not only shall we reignite the passion and bonds we once had in the past, but we can also strive towards a new and brighter future for Norvagen when we join hands with an entirely new world! Everyone! I now give you the youth responsible for tonight! Lord Ryuga!" As I stepped out from the back into the light where everyone could see me, loud claps and cheers of applause echoed throughout the room and the entire castle as everyone gave me their highest respects. I couldn't help but blush a little but did a bow no less to show I was humble and respectful.

Avalon then continued his speech, "Tonight will not merely be the revival of our long forgotten customs, nor shall it be merely for the birthday of my beloved daughter Ikuchi, who shall soon to be queen," as he said so Ikuchi came up to the crowd and did a respectful bow which earned applause and cheers from the crowds, "But we now join hands with the world where Ryuga has come from! And may our new allegiance bring forth a new age and future for our world and many more!" The entire crowd then exploded with applause before he once more silenced them with his hand, "But, before this can be made absolute, the ceremony of unification must now commence. Once I determine it worthy, only then will it be made so."

As if on cue, the tray with everything on it (From the wine jar to the sacred cup) was then pushed up to me as I then began to do my part. I took the bottle of wine and began to fill in the ceremonial cup as carefully as I could without spilling a drop on the outside, up to the exact level as marked on the cup's interior. Now the test begins, where I took the cup in both my hands and prepared to pass it off to King Avalon himself. As I wasted towards him, I could feel my own heart racing faster than a marathon sprinter, even the thought of accidentally tripping haunted me as I sweated nervously, which continued even more so as I got closer to the King, who maintained a serious composure and expression.

"Ryuga…you can do it….I just know it…." Ikuchi prayed as she clasped her hands together while everyone looked on in suspense and anxiety over whether I would be successful or not. Some were doubting in me or hoping to see me embarrass myself in front of his majesty, thought there were also those who were hoping I would be successful in winning over Avalon's support. Enigma on the other hand, looked on intently at the event through the curtains he was hiding behind.

Eventually I bowed in respect before handing over the entire cup to Avalon, as he took it with his hands and began to drank the entire serving of wine in it. After finished the very last drop he then looked at me seriously. Everyone else focused on nothing but the King, while I myself could hear my own heartbeat from inside as the moment of truth came upon me. There was nothing for silence for a long moment, but at last, Avalon smiled pleased before nodding in acknowledgement, which signified his agreement of the alliance treaty.

"Hooray!" Ikuchi cheered as the crowds went applauded wildly in joy at the new future that would soon await them. I then breathed a sigh of relief as my heart continued to slow down back to normal, signalling that the worse was finally over, "We did it guys….Ritual dimension is finally on our side…." I thought to myself, where my only regret was that Yuya and co. back home couldn't see this. As I thought this, I could picture each and every one of them by my side congratulating me and patting me on the back for an incredible job well done, which made me somewhat sad after being reminded about how much I missed them and their company. But if they were I knew they couldn't be more proud at what I just accomplished.

To close the ceremony, Avalon prepared to turn around and announce the closing formalities, "Everyone! Now we shall…." Before he could continue on with his final speech, he suddenly paused as a rush of nausea and dizziness overcame him. As his vision blurred and he began to sweat, causing him to drop the glass on the ground.

We all turned to him in surprise, "F…Father?" Ikuchi asked curiously finding his behaviour odd, and so did I as I continued to look on uneasily as he stumbled about in a dizzy way.

"A…Are you okay your highness?" I asked, "Maybe I can-" Suddenly the unthinkable happened, as Avalon suddenly grasped his throat in his hands as he was choking before finally collapsing on the ground "ARGH!" he yelled gasping for air before finally falling flat on the ground nearly lifeless!

"FATHER!" Ikuchi exclaimed as everyone in the entire crowd gasped in alarm at the sudden turn of events! She then ran up to the now motionless body of her father and held him in her hands, "Father! Say something! Anything!" she cried as drops of tears began to well up in her eyes.

My eyes widened in complete and utter shock at what just happened in front of my own eyes, "Avalon!" I cried as I came to his side as well with Ikuchi, "No no no no!" Everyone looked on completely and utterly speechless at the tragedy that just took place before all their eyes! Some tried to come on for a closer look but were held back by royal guards who tried hard to keep them under control and to remain calm. Back at Avalon's side, while Ikuchi began to weep bitter and heavy tears from her eyes as well as choking on them, all I could do was look on, "I…I didn't mean it! How…how could this happen!?" I thought to myself panicking and unsure of what to do, "Someone! Get a doctor in here! Quickly!" I really couldn't believe what was happening, I wished it was just a bad nightmare, but no it was very real….In fact, what happened next pretty much proved it-

"I knew it! I knew it all along!" A voice shouted which caught us by surprise. Everyone then turned to the sidelines to see a certain man walk out from one of the room entrances and presenting himself before the entirety of the Kingdom.

"E…Enigma?" Ikuchi said in surprise while I looked on puzzled as to why only now he would show up.

After looking down at King Avalon on the floor for a brief moment, he immediately glared at me, "You…You fiend! You really are a spy for an invading army aren't you!?" he yelled while holding a pointing finger at me!

"Wh….WHAT!?" I couldn't believe what I just heard! Just a moment ago…."Enigma! What are you saying!? I thought-"

"Don't you dare say my name!" he yelled in retaliation, "I knew you couldn't be trusted from the very beginning! And seeing this poisoning is the only proof we all need to confirm my suspicions!" He yelled while holding up the wine glass the King was holding originally, as everyone looked on in confusion as to what he was saying. Turning to the entire crowd he then smirked for a brief moment before returning his attention to me, "I will admit that you even had me fooled, in fact, you have done well to maintain your cover all this time which is commendable. But now I see you as the spy, no, assassin! That you truly are!"

"GASP!" The entire audience and crowd of people and humanoid monsters were completely speechless at Enigma's claims, but seeing their now collapsed king on the floor made it really difficult to deny.

"N..No! You're wrong! This isn't my fault!" I yelled in panic. This couldn't be happening…it really had to be a nightmare! "It's not what you think!" As much as I wanted to defend myself, I really didn't see anyway I could prove my innocence, not to mention I couldn't think straight with my emotions completely thrown into a full on hysteria.

"Ryuga….." Ikuchi said softly under her breath in complete shock over the what Enigma said to the crowd.

Turning to the rest of the people, "Everyone! We have seen what this child is capable of on his own, we cannot allow him to escape and signal to the rest of his invading army! I say capture him immediately then make him suffer most dearly for the unforgivable crime of murder!" he then yelled with such anger and emotion while pointing out at me, it moved the entire crowd as they soon gained looks of suspicion, disgust and anger!

As they began to crowd together, both citizens and guards, they slowly began to make their way up the stairs towards me, "E…everyone...wh...what are you doing?" I asked nervously, "Th…this isn't funny! Please calm down!" I then gasped in panic. What they said next completely threw me off-

"Seize him!"

"He not only deceived us, he assassinated the King!"

"He's no ambassador! He's but a herald for an invasion!"

"Lord Enigma was telling the truth…."

"If we don't get rid of him now we will all be in danger soon enough!" Various retorts and yells from the crowds echoed throughout the room as they grew ever more violent and furious at the one they believed had not only betrayed their trust but also plotted to bring their home into ruination!

"Everyone no! What's gotten into you!?" I cried desperately to get them to stop but as I turned around and saw a look of complete fear and disgust on Ikuchi's eyes, I could almost feel her own pure and tranquil heart being overwhelmed and tainted with betrayal and sadness. "Ikuchi no…." I almost felt all my strength and will being drained away by my sheer shock, at seeing her look of disbelief and complete loss of faith after all we been through….It would have been that way, had I not received a wake up call.

"RYUGA!"

"SNAP OUT OF IT!"

"RUN NOW!" Bahamut and my dragons yelled frantically to me from inside my duel disk, to which I responded with as I turned around and leapt out of the glass windows before someone could pounce on me! I was able to do a barrel roll on the grassy ground and below after I landed, and fortunately I didn't managed to get scratched from any of the broken glass fragments before taking off into the night!

"We mustn't let him get away!"

"After him!" The entire audience of people and human monsters rallied together as they charged after me from multiple exits or even from the same broken windows.

Unbeknowst to the entire mob, Enigma, the man who stirred up the entire crowd into turning against Ryuga, gained a malicious grin on his face as he quietly took his leave from the sidelines, "Heheheh….serves you right for getting in my way."

Very soon the entire banquet hall had been cleared of people, all except for Princess Ikuchi herself, who stayed behind in the hopes of getting her father to return to her, "Father! Say something! Please! You can't leave me too! Get up I beg of you!" She cried desperately for any signs of life or response but sadly she received none from the lifeless corpse of her father. She was completely fixated on what was in front of her, she was unaware of who was approaching from behind.

"Princess! Come with us now!" A blade knight shouted as he grabbed her by the arm and soon was joined by another.

"We will take you somewhere safe!" The other said as they took her away from the hall. Little did any of them know was that a figure in the shadows of the hall had been observing the enitre situation from start to finish, and soon trailed after them silently.

"Wait! Unhand me! I'm not leaving my father! He needs help now!" She screamed as she was dragged away against her will, "FATHER!" Her screams echoed through the halls as she was pulled out of the premises.

Meanwhile as the pair of blade knights carried Ikuchi off down the hallways to her room, little did they know they were overshadowed by the same previous figure hiding in the darkness behind the corner they passed.

"Stay here princess," They said as they opened the door to her room, "Until we have found and dealt with that….that….wretched villain and spy, this is the safest place for you. So stay in there and behave like the good and obedient girl you are." They then pushed her inside and locked the door behind them before standing guard at the entrance to her room.

CLICK!

Usually Ikuchi would slam her fists on the door in protest after being forcibly locked in, but this time….was very different. Without blank and lifeless eyes, she then moved over to her bed and sat on it, hugging in her legs and drowning herself in confusion and sorrow, "First my mother….now my father….." Having both her parents suffer such cruel fates was terrible, but to have her remaining parent fall at the hands of the only person she fully opened her heart to was an even greater tragedy than everything she had suffered since her younger days, "Ryuga…all that time together…was it really a fantasy? Were you really a spy for an invading army? How….how could you….sniff….I….trusted you….." No one could possibly imagine the shock Ikuchi felt having experienced everything that juts took place before her eyes. Her feelings of stunned belief and the desire to keep believing anyway are beginning to swirl in a vortex of confusion until she didn't know who or what to trust any more.

She would have continued to remain trapped in her mind prison of sadness, fear and betrayal if she hadn't heard the many sounds of fighting going outside her room. As if the guards were engaging in hand to hand combat with someone, although it also sounded as more like they were on the receiving end of powerful blows rather than delivering them themselves.

BASH! SMACK! CRASH! ARGH!

Her ears perked up upon hearing the unusual sounds coming from outside her door, "H..Huh?" She then turned and heard the door unlock.

CLICK!

As it opened, she was greeted with an unexpected face, "J…Jilen?" Her captain of the guard let himself inside, while the 2 blade knights who stood at her door front now lay unconscious on the floor! "Wh…what is the meaning of this?" she asked nervously.

He said nothing but did a respectful bow in response, "Lady Ikuchi, forgive me for my sudden intrusion, but this place…no…this kingdom, is no longer a safe place for you anymore." He said firmly as he knocked over the dressing table and opened the emergency hatch which she once used, "Come, we are leaving now." he said as he tossed her a set of new clothes, being much cheaper and simpler in appearance. (Resembling those of a peasant girl)

She had no words for what he just said, "L…leave? But I….I…" She was completely choked with tears and overwhelmed with emotion, to leave her home and all she knew behind was almost unthinkable!

Jilen then embraced her in his arms to comfort her sadness and calm her down, "I know you are scared and confused," he said empathetically, "But things will no doubt get much worse if we stay. Believe me, this is our best and only option now." He then held out his hand to her, "I know this may be difficult for me to ask of you but….Please….Will you trust me?" he asked looking into her eyes.

Finding no counter argument to respond with in her weak state she submitted almost without any resistance and took it, "I….I understand…."

 **(Meanwhile)**

In his quarters, King Avalon had just been brought into his bed by his royal guards and they had just left in a hurry to fetch their best doctors in the hopes of curing his sudden poisoning. Now he laid in bed almost lifeless, appearing almost like a rotting corpse. His skin had now turned dark grey and his eyes had no signs of life or motion in them, and his mouth wide open was frothing rather violently. Unknown to him, a certain man entered his chambers after pushing away the curtains to his room, and he grinned rather sinisterly upon sight of the now motionless and defenceless king. "Hehehehe, Oh how the mighty have fallen. Look at you, the once mighty king Avalon now brought down to his knees by a simple poison laced in his own cup. Oh how pathetic you must feel….Not that you can feel anything at all that is." Enigma chuckled as he let himself in, now holding an ancient looking staff with an orb at the end of its' point, "I told you that you would regret your foolish choice, and now you've paid the price for your….foolish decision." He then turned his attention to the King's diadhank which lay upon a shelf next to his bed. He raised his staff and held it towards the diadhank, which caused its orb to open and reveal a mysterious crystal inside, which appeared to be a swirling compression of both black darkness and white light. "Since you are in obviously no condition to stop me, I'll be taking these off your hands. They are far too precious to be wasted on an old relic like you anyway."

The crystal shone brightly as it resonated with Avalon's diadhank, and it soon extracted 3 stone slates which materialised into his hands in the size of duel monster cards. Enigma then grinned upon sight of the Dark master Zorc, Reshef the Dark Being and Shinato, King of a Higher Plane now in his hand, "Now that I have these in my hand, I no longer have any use for you my…'majesty'. My only regret however, is that I won't be able to hear your cries of agony with my own ears, and that you won't be able to see me transform your fool's paradise into the most powerful empire of all!" He said mockingly before taking his leave, "Still, I can settle for you just lying there and rotting in eternity for all I care, for soon, the kingdom…no…so much more will be in the palm of my hand! Ahahahaha!" he laughed maniacally as he left the quarters, leaving the lifeless king to his fate.

He then made his way to the throne room and began to think to himself, "For years I have been slaving to that miserable and cowardly old man and his accursed family and being unappreciated for it, not to mention he was such a coward, not willing to fully utilise the monsters but even giving into the ridiculous ideal of them being equal to us! Such a waste of potential, when we should be ruling over them as their masters, or better yet, gods!" he thought furiously before gazing into the crystal in his staff, "It would have tragically stayed that way had I now come upon you, and all it took was a simple spell in order to shatter years of foolish traditions and weak peace, and to easily achieve the respect I rightfully deserved from the king. Which wasn't a surprise considering the coward he was and how naive he was to agree to anything to maintain a mere facade of 'peace'. But that isn't enough, for too long we have dwelled in old outdated customs, so it is time that this kingdom has a new ruler, one who wouldn't hesitate to use the power at his disposal and to ensure we will stand high as eternal masters of the world and all its creatures!"

Arriving at the throne room where his 2 servants Prometheus and Pandora were awaiting him, "It is now time master."

"We await your orders."

"Excellent, you both know what to do," he said as he then handed them 2 of the stone slates he obtained from Avalon, "With these 3 keys, not even the sealed door long guarded by the royal family will stop me from claiming what I want." he grinned before turning to his servants, "These keys must be inserted simultaneously, so on my signal." They each went to a card slot embedded in the wall as Enigma raised his hand, before lowering it down quickly as the sign. After they each inserted a card slate, the door opened widely and they all went inside. Traversing down the stairs and into the shrine room, they stood before the stone tablet of Leviathan, the ritual dimension's guardian and goddess. Enigma then grinned deviously as he prepared his staff, "Finally, all our efforts of long planning and patience is about to pay off for us. And with the outsider from another world no longer in the way, nothing will stop us from achieving what should rightfully be mine!" He boasted loudly.

Hearing his loud monologuing, Leviathan slowly awoke from inside the stone. As soon as she got a glimpse of the man before her, she immediately opened them fully in rage, recognising him and the sinister life energy he have off in an instant! "You….You're the one who created the rift between humans and duel monsters those many years ago! The one who drove those innocent monsters to madness!" She snarled angrily, "If I were free from this stone tablet right now, I'd….." She then paused as Enigma raised his staff and making the orb at its end open up, revealing the chaotic crystal within it, "That power….it almost feels like…." Her eyes then widened in shock and alarm when immediately realised what it was and the power it held, "Oh no….it can't be…."

"Great goddess Leviathan! Here me! You who possessed unparalleled strength and power since this world's ancient times! You who founded the kingdom of Norvagen as well as its ridiculous and short-sighted ideals of peace and unity, the time for all that has come to an end! For now, a new age has dawned and I now call upon you to be my servant as we usher in this new era of power and supremacy all in my hand!" He proclaimed before pointing his staff directly at the stone, "Now appear before me! Submit to my will and do my bidding!" He then fired a powerful series of electrical beams from it as they began to enshroud the entire tablet, while slowly eating their way through the stone rock towards Leviathan's soul who was trapped inside it!

Leviathan froze in fear as she could do nothing in her trapped state, and she could feel the beams form the sceptre penetrate deeper and deeper into the rock! She knew when they reached her, it would be all over and she would fall under the same curse as the world's monsters did many years ago, "No….St…stay away!" she cried before closing her eyes in fear. But just before she lost all hope, she then opened her eyes and she was surprised to see a barrier of light radiating from the tablet, which was shielding her from the beams' reach! "H…Huh?"

Enigma took a step back bewildered with his 2 servants sharing similar expressions of shock, "Wh…what!?"

"The staff's power had no effect at all." Prometheus gasped while Pandora looked on speechless at the stone tablet which appeared without a single scratch or even the slightest visual difference from before!

"That's….Impossible! No measly seal could possibly defy my staff's magic!" Enigma growled before preparing to unleash another attack, "Infernal barrier! I Enigma, Lord of all monsters! Command you to disappear this instant!" He yelled angrily as he fired another energy beam from his sceptre, this time at full strength! A huge explosion of dust blew up causing all 3 people to cover themeless with their arms as it blew over them! As it cleared, Enigma fell to his knees seeing how his best attempt still amounted to nothing! "It…..cannot be….Even my most powerful unsealing magic had no effect!" he gasped, "How…How can this be!?" he then yelled in frustration at being so close yet so far.

"What do you suppose could be the problem master?" Prometheus asked curiously.

"Tch! If I knew what it was I would have rectified it by now you imbecile!" he yelled in anger while raising his staff which then flashed violently, "One more ridiculous statement like that and I might just seal YOU in a stone tablet myself!"

"F…Forgive me master!" Prometheus gasped in alarm while kneeling down in submission.

Not wishing to have her brother suffer her master's incoming wrath, "If I may?" Pandora spoke up catching their attention.

"What is it Pandora?" Enigma grumbled as he turned to her, "Speak now and quickly, if you know what's good for you." he muttered impatiently.

"Very well sir," she replied, "Not that I question your all seeing wisdom, I would suggest referring to that ancient prophecy the royal family always continued to uphold for generations. Perhaps you may have disregarded it as sheer nonsense for all this time, but after what we have just witnessed, maybe perhaps you should now give it some consideration?"

"Old legend? What are you…Wait…" He then thought back to a few years ago when he remembered the old prophecy the family continuously recited every time they paid their respects to Leviathan, "Let one whose soul is as pure as the most tranquil and peaceful of waters, as well as carrying the powerful strength of the great blizzard, may the ritual to free the dragon who sleeps in stone be made known." Once he fully remembered he then grasped his hand and tightened his hold on to staff out of anger, "Tch! Perhaps there may be some actual truth to these old poppycock myths and legends after all.…How unfortunate my plans may have to be put on hold after coming so close." he grunted.

"The only one capable of undoing the seal, would be one of a heart as pure as the cleanest water and as well as being fully adept and capable of completely mastering this world's summoning unlike any other." Prometheus stated.

"It shall not be easy to find someone who could possibly fit all the necessary conditions, considering how far the people have grown apart from their former partners in the years." Pandora added.

Enigma then began to ponder over the matter, "Indeed….but surely out of all the people in the kingdom of Norvagen, there must be someone who could possibly-" He then paused for a moment before a sly smirk appeared across his face and he began to chuckle, "Hehehe...how could I have not seen this before?" he laughed as he clutched his face in his palm while his servants looked on uneasily.

"What is it master?"

"You find this humorous?" They asked.

"Don't you see!? The solution has been in front of us all this time!" he answered with widened eyes and an eager grin, "The Princess that's who! Not only is she well adept and skilled enough to utilise the most advanced techniques ever in the world, but her innocent young heart is more pure than any other's! Since as long as I remember, she's always been caring and giving plenty of concern for the wellbeing monsters even to the point she sees them as equals to us humans. With such determinationShe is no doubt the key to removing the barrier and releasing the power sealed within this tablet!"

Soon they both gasped in surprise before sharing their master's sinister grin, "A most promising answer master." Prometheus replied.

"To be expected of you." Pandora added.

"After that spectacular performance back at the banquet, her rebellious soul will no doubt be swallowed up by the sheer sadness and betrayal by now." Enigma said eagerly, "In her weakened state, her pure and innocent little heart shall be that much easier to manipulate for my bidding indeed." he chuckled.

"She will basically be no more than a doll, a shell of her former self and impossible to put up any resistance at all. Oh how easily she would submit to your will master." His servants added seeing how easily the kingdom, no, the world will soon fall into their complete and total control.

"Yes...and as an added bonus, should it go exceptionally well she may be eternally in debt for me coming to her aid and bringing her comfort and relief when she needed someone the most." Enigma stated.

"And then she will no doubt marry you, making your rule over this feeble kingdom all the more absolute." Prometheus added.

"Exactly Prometheus," Enigma replied, "Therefore to make sure the Princess will welcome me with open arms, I shall be handling this matter personally." he declared as he began to put his plan into action, "In the meantime, we cannot allow anyone to interfere with our plan, especially when it's already so close to reaching fruition."

"What is your will master?" His servants bowed.

He then smiled to himself, "You both are to receive any news about Ryuga, and see to it that our little 'invader' doesn't….leave this kingdom with his measly life. After all, it is far better to eliminate a weed while it is still young and vulnerable, before it takes root and spreads." he instructed.

"Your wish is our command."

"It shall be done master." They both bowed in acknowledgement before taking their leave.

"Excellent, now that leaves me with one last matter." He then turned towards the stone tablet with the great sea dragon sealed inside, "If you can hear me, 'divine goddess', you may think that you are safe but you cannot be more wrong. This is merely a delay and nothing more, very soon you will bend to my will and mine alone! Once that happens and you are my eternal servant, there is nothing anyone can do to challenge me, and anyone foolish enough to even try will rue the day they even came into existence!" He blasted before laughing maniacally before taking his leave from the shrine room.

As soon as the doors closed and she was left alone in peace, "Phew….Thank goodness for this seal….Maybe this really isn't a prison after all…." Leviathan thought as she breathed a sigh of relief. She then however grew more worried after recalling the tragic event that had just took place in the royal palace and how Bahamut and his master had now been branded as wanted criminals for a crime they were framed for committing! She closed her eyes and prayed, for it all she could do in her current state, "But still….Bahamut…Everyone….Please be safe…."

 **(Meanwhile)**

Enigma was walking down the hallway towards Ikuchi's room with a devious smirk, thinking how easy it would be to control Ikuchi and how the Kingdom will soon be within the palm of his hand by the end of tonight. As he reached her door, he then tapped on it with his knuckles.

KNOCK KNOCK

Hearing no response at first puzzled him, so he would assume that she was either sleeping or perhaps dwelling so much in her sorrow that she didn't hear him. "Your highness, it is I Enigma." he said sounding as gently as he could, "I have come to tell you something of upmost importance, so I shall be letting myself in." Taking out a key he then unlocked the door and opened it.

Her room now was relatively dark so he couldn't see very well. He did however managed to make out a small figure in a familiar dress lying on the bed near the window. He then grinned as he felt this was almost too easy, "Your highness?" he whispered but still gained no response from her which further annoyed him. He then walked up close to her and reached out to stroke her, "Princess Ikuchi, are you awake? If I may-" As soon as he touched her however, a strange feeling came over him, "Wait….." he raised his eyebrow in suspicion. As he stroked her, she felt as soft as a cushion, yet had no movement or breathing. He then grabbed 'her' and pulled her out surprisingly easily, only to get the surprise of his life!

The 'princess' he pulled out was apparently her bed's blanket tightly rolled into a sausage shape and her royal dress had been pulled over it to make it look as though she was lying flat down! "What's this!? A trick!?" He yelled in shock and anger as he threw it to the side in frustration. As he did, it knocked some books over the table which fell and landed on the ground with a hollow thump which caught his ears! Hurrying over, he cleared away the books and knocked hard on that spot, discovering the trap door that had hidden an escape route from the room! This startling discovery had caught him completely by surprise and his screamed in uncontrollable anger, "She's escaped!? Garrrgh!" he yelled with frustration that she was able to...no...she couldn't have possibly done this. She was but a weak and mewling child, someone out there must have been responsible for this!

"Tch! Victory and absolute power was in my grasp….." he breathed, before realising the huge setback this loss will be to his plan of complete and total domination of the world, "No…Not when I'm too close! I refuse to accept this! AAAAARRRRGGGHH!" He began to lose all self control and sense of awareness as waves of rage and frustration began to overtake every fibre of his being, not to mention he also began to overturn and smash the furniture in the room and against the walls out of his uncontrollable rage. "Who….whoever is responsible for this outrage shall suffer a thousand deaths! This I swear!" He screamed before coming to a realisation, which made his eyes twitch (Similar to Roger) "Ryuga...Yes of course...hahahaha! I was blind! No doubt he was scheming with her all this time behind my back! Hahahaha! Well played indeed child….but you won't get away with this...oh no….I will find you both...and when I do not only will she make me king, but I shall make sure you and your precious home 'dimension' suffer and pay for this meddling interference! Then...no one will ever defy me again!"

After screaming at the top of his lungs, in exhaustion he regained his self awareness and took a calming breath, "Oh my...it seems I have gotten carried away there…." He then began to plan his next course of action from this point. Seeing as how this unforseen turn of events as only delayed but not thwarted his plans would mean he would have to take a few extra measures if he were to set them back on course, "It seems right now, there's only one way I'll be able to seize the throne and that's by recapturing the princess by any means necessary, wherever she has gone." He thought to himself, "And I'll have to make sure that boy doesn't try and interfere only then will my triumph be secure….hehe…it'll be as simple as eliminating 2 birds with one stone…." He then chuckled deviously as he headed outside from the empty but now vandalised bedroom, "It's time to issue a new decree….One that no one in Norvagen could possibly deny, and one that will secure my ultimate victory! Hahaha Ahahahaha!" the halls soon echoed with his maniacal laughter as a dreaded scheme was being hatched in Enigma's twisted mind, one which would spell certain doom…..

 **(Ryuga POV)**

Meanwhile the entire kingdom and town was in a state of panic, as word like wildfire had spread that Ryuga, the visitor from another world had apparently assassinated King Avalon! While some people stayed in their homes and barricaded their windows and doors out of fear, others formed mobs and riots before joining the hunt, wielding pitchforks and flaming torches and scoured the streets and alleys searching for the traitorous assassin who not only killed their beloved ruler but also planned to signal in an invading army! Now a group of them had gathered with a squadron of court guards in the town square, which also consisted of blade knights and command knights.

"I think he went this way." One of the pointed out in a direction.

"He can't possibly escape. Not from all of us!" Another followed.

"We've got to eliminate that dangerous menace once and for all!" Numerous voices of anger and hatred echoed through the streets, which was then followed by the thunderous collection of footsteps as they went down that path.

As the entire mob of angry villagers and soldiers passed, a barrel which sat in an alley next to a backdoor of a house shook before the top lid opened up, "Phew….Looks like they're gone, at least for now." I thought looking out from my hiding spot.

"I don't sense any humans for the moment so we should be safe for the time being." Bahamut said from my duel disk as he observed through it with a visual portal he and the others generated so they could see from inside. He would normally materialise and scout the area just to be sure, since doing so from inside the duel disk had its limits, but in a world where anyone can see duel monsters (even in spirit form) that may not be such a good idea. "Alright, I think we should make a move now before they get any ideas of backtracking."

When they didn't receive any response from me after that, "Ryuga?" Looking at me they saw me completely spaced out, deep in thought and muttering to myself.

"This isn't happening….This isn't happening! I didn't mean it…" I said out loud, completely overwhelmed by a swirl of confusion, fear and shock. As if poisoning King Avalon wasn't bad enough, now I look like a huge criminal, no, a herald to an invasion! The entire kingdom was not after me, all the trust I worked so hard to build….even Ikuchi…all gone just like that…."It was all going so good….Why…why and how did things turn out like this!?" I cried while grasping my face with my 2 hands.

"RYUGA!" All my dragons shouted suddenly, which snapped me out of my self-pity and dwelling.

"Get ahold of yourself! Your snivelling is beginning to make me feel sick!" Tiamat hissed which made the others glare back at her in response, before turning to me.

"Calm down and take a deep breath." Fafnir said gently, "I know you're frightened and confused, trust me we all are. But there won't be any use worrying about what just happened, if we all wind up dead!" she then cried in urgency.

"Right now, we have to get away as fast as possible! Survival is without a question our highest priority." Jormangandr followed to which I reluctantly nodded.

"Th..thanks you guys, I really needed that." I responded before apologising, "Sorry about just now, I really didn't know what came over me."

"No problem Ryuga, that's what friends are for right?" Tiamat replied, "And yes, we understand how you feel, but we can't deal with that now. Until we find a safe place to lay low, rest and think things properly through we'll need to make sure we don't get caught."

"We'll have to be smart and sneaky about it too, that would also mean no summoning monsters…." I added observing the situation, with torches lighting up alleys was and a couple of watchers taking posts on rooftops which were also on the straight path towards the main gates, this definitely wasn't going to be easy, so I couldn't help but sweat nervously just thinking about going in without a dragon to protect me. I then swallowed hard, "It's okay, I can do this myself….how hard can it be just to get out?"

 **(Dragon POV)**

Meanwhile inside the duel disk, Jormangandr, Fafnir and Tiamat all observed and scanned the horizon through their dimensional window as they tried their best to look for any possible shortcuts, sheltered escape routes or for any patrolling guards. Bahamut on the other hand was keeping to himself and was in deep thought, trying hard to piece together the entire tragedy that took place as a crime scene, "Hmm…Enigma arrived on the scene almost immediately after the poison took effect, and his change of heart was almost too sudden….Also how could he have known that there was poison being present without even first examining the cup or the wine bottle….Unless HE was the one responsible in the first place!" he gasped having come to realisation, "No doubt he would take advantage of the situation and use it to frame Ryuga as the villain. But why would he do such a thing if he's the king's advisor? If Ryuga was the one he wanted to eliminate, then why would he want to eliminate the king….For what purpose or gain could he possibly be after? It still doesn't fully add up…..hmmm…."

 **(Ryuga POV)**

For a while I made sure to avoid detection by any lookouts, thanks to my dragons keeping an eye out and warning me to take cover behind barrels of behind walls whenever people or patrolling monsters came by. Progress was slow but at least it was steady as I made my way through the shadowed streets and almost empty town while avoiding those with lighting inside so I wouldn't get exposed. "So far so good…." I breathed in relief as I looked out from a corner, and saw we were about halfway to the gates.

"ACK! Ryuga! Behind you!" Tiamat suddenly shouted!

"GAH!" I cried before suddenly covering my mouth with both my hands! Turning around I expected to see a person or an entire mob, but instead…..a small bubonic vermin scurried along from one end and into the sewers. After seeing what the fuss was about and realising I could have just given myself away, I then boiled with anger inside me as I turned to my duel disk, "Tiamat you moron! Look what you made me do!" I hissed under my breath while the others began to stare at her with angry expressions.

She then frantically looked around while twiddling her claws, "B..but how was I supposed to know it was merely a rodent and not a stalker!?" she gasped in alarm, "N…No worries…It's not as if anyone heard that right?"

"Do you think anyone didn't?" I replied with narrowed eyes and a sweat drop. For a while there was nothing but complete silence so I decided to relax for a moment, "Phew…I think we're good for now." Almost as if I jinxed it, a sudden voice shouted out at the back of the alley I was in that immediately had me on the edge of my toes!

"Hey look! There he is! Over there!" A man with a flaming torch shouted out while waving to the rest of the incoming mob, as the bright light of flames soon followed. Very soon the entire mob gathered at the end waving their weapons and torches in anger!

After we all glared at Tiamat once more she then sweated nervously as she was cornered, "Hehehe….if you guys are about done giving me the glare….I think now would be the perfect time to-"

"GET HIM!" One man yelled as they all charged forward.

"RUN!" she then screamed in alarm.

"GAAAAAAHHHHH!" I then took off as fast as I could and made a beeline for the gates that were still a ways to go in front of us!

"Don't let him escape!"

"Stop right there!" I heard being shouted as they continued to pursue us.

"They expect us to stop and wait for them!?" I exclaimed in bewilderment. Makes me wonder why everyone bothers to waste their breath screaming that even though it will never be followed. At first we managed to stay several moves ahead of them by making detours and slipping through tight spots to throw them off, but eventually when we made it to the square, we were immediately swarmed by people on all sides!

"Give it up! We've got you completely surrounded!"

"Escape is futile!"

"You might as well come along quietly now, and face the consequences!" They angrily shouted.

"Oh boy…." I sweated nervously as they came closer and closing the space between us and them!

"It's time for you to pay! Not just for your wretched poisoning of our beloved king, but for deceiving us and heralding an invading army into our kingdom!"

There was really no way out, we were completely boxed in on all sides! At that point, I then closed my eyes and grit my teeth in sheer frustration. "This can't be it….It can't end this way….It just can't!"

I almost felt like giving up, but at the very last second, "That tears it, forget running and hiding! It's time to go in full force!" A familiar voice from my duel disk shouted!

"F…Fafnir!?" I gasped surprised at her sudden outburst.

"Ryuga! Call me out now!" she roared.

My eyes widened in surprise at her request, "W…What!? Are you crazy Fafnir!? If we fight back-"

"There's no time to argue, do as I say now! Or would you rather spend an eternity in prison, or worse get yourself beheaded by a mystical guillotine!?" she retorted.

"W…Well…." She made a good point actually. If I did nothing I'd definitely get caught and be done for….But if I fight back I'd make myself look more like a criminal…."Gah! Fine! It's not like I have another choice!" I then took my chances and took a deep breath as I prepared my leap of faith, "O..Okay! I'm trusting you!" I quickly activated my duel disk.

The people surrounding me realised what I was attempting to do, "He's about to summon a monster!"

"Don't let him! Capture him now!" They all screamed and charged at me with full force with their weapons held out in front of them and ready to seize me!

Unfortunately for them, I was able to get Fafnir's card out of my extra deck in time! "Take to the sky! Wings of the Dragon Master! Fafnir! Ascending wyvern of the Gales!" I chanted as I threw her card across my blade! A beam of light then shot down from the sky which froze the mob in their place as they were forced to shield their eyes from the bright light! As it dissipated, Fafnir let out a out shriek as she also flashed her large wings after descending from above! The people couldn't help but pause for a moment to look in awe at the magnificent dragon up close, until overhearing what she then said to me.

"Climb on quickly!" she roared to me with a sense of urgency as she lay her wing down.

"You don't need to tell me twice!" I responded as I quickly ran up her wing, climbed onto her back and secured myself to her neck! "Hey Fafnir-"

"Don't worry, I have no intention of utilising any attacks at all," she replied as she opened her wings and prepared to launch herself into the sky.

Most of the mob quickly realised what we were trying to do, "He's getting away!" One man on the ground grunted as they started to get back up on their feet!

"We mustn't let him escape!" Another yelled as they resumed their attempt to capture me!

"Hold on tight, this is going to be a bumpy ride!" Fafnir called out as she opened her wings and sent a gust of wind which blew back the entire mob of villagers and soldiers across the square and into walls, windows and various other places! Flapping her wings she took to the air and soon we were off into the sky! As we flew through the town, we noticed all around us flames and torches across and inside the kingdom were lighting up as people and humanoid monsters down below began to point out to us and shout our locations to the guards! Very soon, cries and screams of anger echoed through the streets and town as more and more people mobilised together.

"Fire at them!"

"Don't let them escape!" Others shouted as I noticed some fairy archers gathering at the rooftops taking aim with their bows and flaming arrows before firing them! From below some people tried throwing rocks to try and slow us down, while more armed villagers and men tried throwing pitchforks or even spears at us!

Luckily for me, Fafnir wasn't so easily thwarted by conventional projectiles, "Ha! Trying to shoot me down with puny toothpicks? Please…" she scoffed as she performed skilful barrel rolls and powerful corkscrew dives to dodge and shake off the arrows the archers tried to shoot at us. We went by over the houses and rooftops so quickly, e eventually made it over the large walls and were soon over the forest we passed through on our way here! "Phew…we made it over the walls." Fafnir breathed in relief having made through that ordeal.

I then looked behind us one last time at the raging kingdom that was turned against us after everything we worked so hard towards, with sadness and regret before turning away, "Yeah, but I don't think we're in the clear just yet Fafnir…." I replied unconvinced we weren't out of danger just yet.

My wyvern however being the proud and confident female she was, didn't share my same sense of worry though, "Oh come on now, what's there to worry about now? Just over this forest and we'll be home free, surely things can't get any worse than that can they?"

Back at the walls, a number of guards had gathered across the tops of them in frustration seeing how I effortlessly escaped their best attempts to stop us from getting away. One looked through a spyglass from one of the lookout towers and grunted in annoyance, "He's going over the ancient forest! At this rate he will be well out of our arrows' range!"

"But we can't just do nothing and let him get away with what he just did!" Another yelled in frustration, "Isn't there anything we can do!?"

As he finished speaking they heard the sounds of growling and foot stomps coming from the stairs to the viewing platform. They then backed away in fear as a yellow baboon, archer of the forest, equipped with a poison crossbow made his way to the archery point of the tower. He then growled as he loaded a poison arrow onto his crossbow. Lowering it, he then took aim and fired from where he stood! The arrow flew at such force, it nearly broke the sound barrier while traveling through tight gaps, through tree gaps before finally-

PIERCE!

"RAAAARRRRRGGGHHH!" Fafnir roared as the arrow pierced straight through her wing and blots of blood began squirting out from the wound!

My eyes widened at the sight of my friend's blood, it completely sickened me down to my soul "Fafnir!" I cried in horror at what just took place, "Are you alright!?"

"Pain! It hurts!" she roared in response, as the arrow had penetrated deep into her arm joint, which she needed in order to maintain control and altitude! This was made clear as she started to wobble in flight, as she became much more unstable I began to grasp onto her neck more tightly out of fear!

I could feel heavy pressure and wind pushing down on myself as she continued to spiral out of control! As I opened my eyes, streams of tears began to flow from it, "C…can you stay in the air!? Please say yes!" I exclaimed worried for our safety.

Fafnir grunted and gnashed her fangs out of pain as she turned to her injured wing, "N…no! My wing's taken a huge hit! There's no way for me to stay airborne for much longer! Best I can manage is a controlled crash!" She yelled back.

"Then manage it!" I responded. As Fafnir tried her best to stabilise herself, each time she moved her wing the pain from her wound continued to worsen! Eventually she began to lose strength and came very close to the tree tops of the forest we crossed over! She did a number of swerves to steer clear of them although there were also a few close calls that almost knocked me off her! "Fafnir! We're getting too close to these trees! Try and pull up!" I yelled as my heart raced with panic

"Aaaaargh!" she roared as blood continued to rush out from her open wound! "It's no use! I'm going down!" she roared, "Brace yourself!"

"AAAAAAHHHH!" The sounds of panicked and painful screams echoed through the night sky as me and Fafnir disappeared beneath the canopy of trees.

CRASH!

I suffered a huge hit to the head from an incoming tree branch after Fafnir and I fell from the sky. It must have been nearly half an hour when I opened my eyes, "Urgh….My head…." I took hold of my forehead and could see the world swirling before my eyes as I opened them. Eventually I managed to shake myself back into focus and then noticed a trail of felled trees and a hole in the canopy from where we fell. I then turned around and I looked on in shock to see my wyvern lying on the ground almost

"Fafnir!" I cried as I ran to her side, I made my way over to her head where I could see she was gnashing her fangs in pain, "Hey! Come on say something! Tell me you're alright!" I gasped frantically and then brought her snout up to my face. She then weakly

"Can you stand?" I asked, my voice filled with deep concern, worry and fear. She lifted her head up as she tried to shift her body weight to her hind legs.

She managed to get a foothold on the forest ground but as she tried to shift to her upper wing, a sudden wave of pain struck her! "ARGH!" She growled which startled me a bit before she collapsed back on the floor, "Urgh…it's no good Ryuga…I'm out…" she groaned as her whole body slumped to the ground once more.

"Easy…You've taken a huge hit, I don't want you straining yourself even more than you already have." I said as I stroked her neck gently, trying to calm her down, "Thanks to you I think we've got quite a head start from them, it'll be a while before they can catch up to us." I said as I looked up at the castle which appeared on a hill top from the forest we were in. However, my relief soon shifted to worry when I overheard the blowing of loud horns from the kingdom. We turned back and noticed the castle gates had opened. The sounds of roaring cries and thundering footsteps echoed through the hills as a fleet of knights on horses charged out of the gates and down the path towards the forest! "Uh oh…." I gulped knowing they were most defintiely trying to finish the job the crossbow started. They were really coming in quick and I could tell it wouldn't take the very long to catch up to where we were!

Fafnir snarled in anger and frustration, as if our current troubles weren't already enough, "C…Curse this infernal wound…." she hissed upon noticing our difficult task of escaping grow even more difficult. After looking at her wing's condition once more she then turned to me, "Ryuga, get one of the others to fly you….quick…before they find us."

It was a very tempting decision, in fact one that anyone would make in my position. But then I realized, if I flew I'd be putting my next dragon in the same harm as Fafnir now, and then the next one and the next one onwards. I had to be strong and do things on my now, so made the heartfelt decision to continue the rest on my own, for there's no way I was going to let more of my friends suffer any more attacks that were intended for me. That was my choice, "No Fafnir." I said shaking my head, "I'm doing the rest of this myself, on foot."

Her eyes widened in disbelief, she thought I had hit my head on that tree branch really hard, "Wh…what!? You can't be serious! You'll-" As she tried to raise her wing to stop me, the open wound began to make its' presence more known with another jolt of pain! "Argh! C…Curse this poison arrow!" I almost felt my own heart skip a beat hearing the word poison, and luckily I was able to keep my cool knowing that panic will only make things worse (If I showed fear, my monsters would realise it as well and they may panic themselves too without a leader they can trust in)

Taking a calming breath, "Get back inside the duel disk Fafnir," I instructed firmly as I lifted it towards her, "If you stay out here we'll get spotted for sure! And who knows how quickly they catch us after that. Also, Bahamut and the others should be able to treat your injury with ease considering the powerful dragons they are. Anyway, there's no time to argue! Go before YOU give us away!" I yelled frantically before becoming more reasonable with her, to show I wasn't panicking and that I thought this carefully through, "Besides, you know if we stay in the sky they'll easily spot us and no doubt continue to track us for sure. At least here in the dark forest I might have a chance of giving them the slip unnoticed."

"But-"

I then stroked her head gently down to her snout to calm her down, "Don't worry, I'm more worried about you than for myself." I said looking at her with a light smile and calm demeanour, "Even if I do manage to get away thanks to your help, it's not worth you or the others constantly risking your scales for my sake. I'd never forgive myself if any of you became hurt or worse because of me." I said gritting my teeth in frustration at this hard choice I was making and that it wasn't out of the faint of heart.

After that she was convinced to trust in me and reluctantly gave in, "I….understand…" she said as she began to drift back into my duel disk, "I'll lay low for now and give the message to the others. Until this wound heals you better not get yourself caught, otherwise I'd have taken that accursed arrow and vile crash landing for nothing." her last parting words struck me in the heart before she finally disappeared.

"I won't let your sacrifice be in vain Fafnir, I promise." I swore before taking refuge behind a large hollow tree as the thundering footsteps and neighing horses approached! I looked out and noticed a squadron split off from the main force, who then galloped further down the path into the distance. I heard them mutter about how they were going to search this entire forest with a fine toothed sweep and that they wouldn't return until they've checked every tree and under every boulder until they've found me.

I sweated like crazy as they got closer to the tree I was hiding at, but while I was all too focused on what was in front of me, I failed to take into account an approaching shaded figure behind me! All of a sudden I found myself restrained from the back! "Mmph!" I gasped but couldn't make a sound because a palm had covered my whole mouth!

I looked up and my eyes widened to find a large male figure with strong bulky arms had me in a lock, I couldn't see his face because he was wearing a cloak which covered Newley his entire body except for the lower part of his face, which revealed a familiar moustache and beard, "Shhh…." he whispered as he held a finger to his lips, "Be quiet otherwise they will hear us…." He said to me firmly as he continued to keep me quiet while keeping an eye on the soldiers' movements.

No words could describe how afraid I was at that moment, but regardless I nodded frantically in response to what he said not wanting to cause any trouble. I didn't know how to react to this situation, was this guy one of them? No…if he was he would've given away our position by now. And yet he had me at his mercy….who is he….

Luckily his dark cloak had hidden us better under the shadows of the trees and night so the men hardly noticed as as they eventually moved past us.

"It appears we are safe for the moment…" The man said as he looked out from our hiding spot before looking back at me, "You are most lucky to be alive Ryuga, not to mention being able to escape the combined hunting efforts of the entire Norvagen kingdom."

My eyes widened in surprise, "Wh...who are you? What do you want and how do you know my name!?" I cried defensively.

"Oh pardon me for being so sudden, but I am surprised you do not remember." He replied before pulling off his cloak.

I couldn't believe who was actually underneath, "J…Jilen!?" I gasped in disbelief.

"Yes Ryuga, it is me." He replied with a nod, "Ever since you disappeared from the banquet I have been searching high and low for you, it is by sheer luck and fortune that I was able find you amongst all this chaos and in this dark forest."

I swallowed hard feeling uneasy and nauseous, I really wanted to speak for myself but couldn't find anything that would sound like an excuse or untrustworthy, "Jilen, I know this looks bad…actually no, it's a disaster beyond any scale." I said weakly, "But I swear I didn't-"

He then held out his hand, "You can save your breath and worry Ryuga, I know you are innocent and that you are telling me the truth."

"Wh…what? But how?" I gasped surprised that he still believed in me even after what just happened to the king.

"As much as I would love to explain myself, now isn't the best time. It won't be long till they decide to return here to look in the underbrush," he replied as he began to move out, "Come with me, and I know a safe place where should be able to lay low for the time being. Also considering your situation, you don't have any other options do you?" He asked.

"Should I really go along with him?" I thought to myself before shaking my head and clearing out my doubts, "No, in my situation I don't have any other choice. Also, he's a man of honour, I'm sure I can trust him, at least for now." As we began walking further uphill from the forest, I began thinking to myself worried for another person whom I feared to have unintentionally hurt more than the others, "Ikuchi…..I really hope you're okay….If only I had the chance back then I would explain things…."

Eventually after traversing over the hillside and trees we eventually came across flatter ground and heard the sounds of water flowing by. "Here we are." Jilen stated as we came to a stop in a clearing. In front of us was an old wooden cottage with a water mill running through a narrow river which passed through the clearing and further into the forest. There was some light shining through the windows and some smoke from the chimney which hinted it was being used. No doubt by Jilen, but for what purpose would he need so and was he using it alone? Something at the back of my mind told me it wasn't….My suspicions were confirmed at the next word he said, "It may not be much, but this is the safest and best possible place we could find."

"We?" I asked curiously.

"Yes," he nodded as he approached the door and unlocked it with a key he took from his pocket, "There is someone else inside already, I suggest you two get yourselves….comfortable with each other."

After that he began to turn around and walk away, "But where are you going?" I asked curiously, worried to be alone myself with some random roommate, "And who else is with you?"

"Don't worry, I'm going to scout the area for a brief moment, to make sure we aren't followed or being tracked. At times like these it we can't be too careful." he replied as he continued walking onwards, "I won't be long." In a few moments he vanished into the darkness of the woods.

As I headed up to the cabin door, I then opened it and found myself in an attractive looking cabin room with a warm and burning fireplace in the front and a hot pot boiling on top of it. I also noticed a pair of beds on the other side of the room with an oil lamp on a chair in the middle. I then saw a person sitting on the end of one bed, a girl to be precise and she wore a very dull coloured but simple maiden dress which was brown which she wore over a bluish inner layer with long sleeves. She also wore a pair of old boots strapped with red laces, and she also had a pair of ribbons wound up in her hair. As she turned around to see who had entered the room, the both of us too a step back in shock when we met.

"Ryuga….." she breathed at first sight of me as I came in.

"I…Ikuchi!" I gasped in relief at the familiar face I had been so worried about since the banquet hall, "Thank the stars you're alright!" But before I could get closer to her, she said something I didn't see coming!

"Get away from me!" she suddenly screamed angrily as tears flowed from her glaring eyes and she her breathing began to grow deeper in anger. If looks could kill, the expression she had on her once pure and cheerful face was now like a maelstrom of rage! "You…YOU…..HEARTLESS MONSTER! Everything from the beginning, it was a ploy wasn't it!? To get close to my father and earn our trust just so you could attack when we let our guard down and accepted you!?" Reaching out into her dress' pocket she then pulled out what looked like a small but really sharp dagger! Which really threw me for a lop to think the princess would be carrying with her such a dangerous sharp object that could actually kill! And from the looks of things, that may be exactly what she wanted to do to me!"

"Whoa whoa take it easy Ikuchi!" I gasped as I caught sight of the sharp blade! I was used to duelling ferocious monsters and battling intense action duels, but an actual weapon about to be used on me was a new experience I really didn't want to go through! "Put that thing away now please….And let's talk this over nicely like we always did before…."

She however wanted none of what i had to say, "We took you in, accepted you amongst us….and then…. you betray our hand of friendship and trust just like that!?" she screamed furiously.

"Ikuchi! That's not what happened! Calm down!" I cried out, sounding as strong as I could but still terrified on the inside seeing her armed with a sharp dagger! I mean who wouldn't be!?

"First I lost my mother, now you take my father!?" She wept before gritting her teeth at me furiously, "I'll never forgive you! I take back everything I ever said! I wish we never even met! Now be gone!" She screamed as she charged forward and prepared to slash at me!

"AAAAAHHHH!" I then cried out loud as I covered my self with my hands held out in front of me! I then felt a sudden rush of wind and found it odd when the blade didn't reach me yet, not to mention the sheer and immense pain that would've followed after!. As I lowered my hands to take a look I was caught by surprise at what I saw next!

As the last second before the knife could reach me, I opened them and was surprised to see Jilen had returned just in time and now had her arm with he knife restrained in his strong hand, "That's enough Lady Ikuchi!" he yelled angrily. It was fortunate for the both of us that he didn't move very far before overhearing screaming from the cabin. Otherwise he would return to find me with a couple of bloody holes in my body!

Her eyes winded in surprise, "J…Jilen!? You….brought him here!? After what he-"

"He's innocent!" he retorted while easily restraining her struggling hand with his own strength, "I understand what you are feeling now, but you cannot allow your emotions cloud your judgement."

"Emotions….Cloud my judgement!?" she hissed furiously, "Do you even have any proof to back up your claims!? After what just took place at the castle, how can you-"

Jilen then rushed in and fully embraced her in his arms, "Calm down my lady, let's not make things anymore worse or complicated than they need to be….." he spoke gently which managed to calm her down slightly as she looked up to his face, "While I may not have any actual proof now, I always listen to my instincts and they are telling me Ryuga isn't the one responsible for what happened to King Avalon." he said looking at me. "Think about it lady Ikuchi. After everything you have been through with him, after everything he has accomplished since arriving in our kingdom, do you really believe he would be the kind of person to betray your trust? I for one know his actions were sincere and pure the moment he defeated me in that duel in the arena, and I'm putting my complete trust in him whether you choose to believe me or not."

"J…Jilen…" I breathed on amazement at what he just said. After a moment, he then took the knife from Ikuchi's hand before releasing her from his embrace as she walked up to me.

Choking with tears and regret over what she said and attempted to do. "Y….you're right….Jilen….I was too hasty and rash, I was blind by my sheer anger and sadness over what just….sniff…. and instead of acting like a child and being so easily misled by others or myself….I….I really should have known better! I really am a fool!" she cried before turning to me and lowering her head towards me in sorrow.

"Ryuga….I….I am sorry for accusing you…I was wrong!" she cried, "I'm also terribly sorry for dong what I just did! If you demand compensation then just get it over with!" she cried waiting for me to do something back to her, but instead, all she received was a gentle pat on her shoulder.

She looked up to me surprised, "It's…okay…" I replied after sighing in relief, I almost felt she was going to skin me alive with that knife! She however was in disbelief that I would just forgive her like that….How could he possibly be so compassionate? "I'm worried too believe me, even I'm still questioning myself over what just happened at the castle being my doing..…" I stated closing my eyes in regret before looking back at her, "But….there's nothing we can do about that now. For now we have to focus on what we can do, not on what had or what could happen from here on, and the only chance we have is if we stick together, so we can't be jumping to hasty conclusions or fight amongst ourselves. now."

"Agreed," Jilen replied, "And that's why I'm going back to investigate this case more carefully by gathering some intel back at Norvagen." He said as he turned to leave.

I then reached out and grabbed his arm, "Jilen wait! After what just happened back there, how can you-" he then pulled my arm off with ease and looked at me with a smile.

"I am not the captain of the guard for nothing Ryuga, do not worry I am more than capable of handling myself." he said telling me trust in him before looking back at me seriously, "In the meantime, I will be leaving my mistress in your hands. Can I trust YOU to do that?"

"I am glad we can come to an agreement." he replied as he opened the door and let himself out, "For now you 2 stay here where it's safe. You're both targets by now, so laying low will be the best course of action for all of us." With that he was gone into the night.

For a while we simply stayed in the room and stared at each other without even moving or saying a thing to the other. It was getting awkward so I tried to say something to her hoping we could get a conversation going, "Umm…Ikuchi?"

She then interrupted me, "I'm sorry Ryuga…but….I need sometime alone….Please…." She pleaded as she went out for some fresh air and shut the door behind her.

I then realised we both needed some space to settle down and to get our thoughts straightened out after tonight. So I helped myself to some hot water that was boiling in the pot. After drinking I managed to calm down a little knowing we were safe for now. A while had passed and I noticed Ikuchi still hadn't returned from outside. I felt worried that something may have happened, so I looked out the window quickly. I then breathed a sigh of relief after I just saw her close by looking up at the sky while sitting down in the grass by the river.

"Poor Ikuchi…." I thought to myself feeling sad for her but I didn't know what to do.

"Don't just stand there you dimwit! Say something!" A voice hissed from my duel disk.

"Gah!" I gasped in alarm as i looked down at it, immediately recognising it to be Tiamat's, '"Like what? You expect me to say comforting words after everything that just happened!? No way she'll ever take it!" I retorted seeing her to be pushy and inconsiderate, though what she said next made me reconsider her intentions.

"At least show her you care. How do you think she's taking it compared to you!?" she snapped.

"Tiamat…." I replied understanding her pain.

She then continued more calmly, "I won't force you, but it's better than doing nothing and letting her suffer by herself, now that she had no one to turn to. Believe me, I know the feeling." She stated referencing the time when we all were apart after the original dimension was split and how we were all bound to our own dimensions just to keep Zarc from reviving and destroying everything again. The loneliness was what drove Tiamat to her madness at the time and who knows what it may do to Ikuchi, now that both her parents were gone….

Feeling a heavy weight on my chest I finally relented, "I'll try….Tiamat…." I sighed to which she smiled.

"Thank you for understanding Ryuga." she replied before disappearing back into the duel disk.

Outside, Ikuchi continued to stare aimlessly into the night sky and stars as she did her best to get her thoughts straightened out but to no avail. The sounds of approaching footsteps from behind suddenly alerted, as she turned her head to look. She then noticed it was me coming out of the cabin. "Hi Ikuchi, nice night isn't it?" I said as I walked up to her side with a warm smile.

She then looked up to me and frowned, "What do you want? Didn't I say I wanted to be alone?" I then looked at her and made sure she faced me.

I found it really difficult…actually painful to even say the words I wanted from my mouth and heart. The slightest misinterpretation may make things worse than they are, but I took my chances knowing that putting it off will only make things worse later on, as Ikuchi would have no one else to turn to for comfort. I eventually managed to force them out, "Listen Ikuchi, I'm terribly sorry…for everything that happened tonight. Really I am, and I could never imagine the pain and doubt you're experiencing right now…." I then looked to her more seriously, "But….one thing I can't do is let you bear the burden and pain by yourself." I wanted to show her that I wasn't going to take her refusal as an acceptable answer in this situation, and that instead of running away and secluding herself she should try to be open about it, "I did tell you once that friends shelter each other's pain and suffering and will never forsake one another no matter how dire the consequences." I continued, "I don't care if you don't trust me now, and I don't name you, but one thing I know is that you're hurt….tremendously….and I'm never going to leave you to suffer it alone." I said looking at her in the eyes with sincerity. I had to admit, her blue eyes actually sparkled like gemstones in the night which were now pure and innocent with the only taints coming from insecurity and doubt. (A little observation I learnt from Masumi considering she knows how to read people.….wait what am I saying?)

As she looked at me, Ikuchi then widened her eyes, "Ryuga….You…really are genuine in your words….." she gasped in realisation but kept it to herself. Yet still kept in mind what I just said as they began to dig deep into her heart like shovels.

"Ikuchi…I know I probably have no right to ask you for this again, especially after what just happened tonight…but…will you be willing to trust me?" I asked nicely as I held out my hand to her.

"I….I don't know…." she replied softly feeling unsure of herself, as she turned her head away in response. She almost felt betrayed earlier tonight, and bore witness the last link to her family fall before her eyes on her birthday….to open her trust again to someone she then falsely accused of being responsible for her father's fate…. was something very difficult for her to accomplish. That much I could tell.

I then sat down next to her, "I understand….well in that case, let's take it one step at a time rather than all at once." I suggested hoping she would at least consider it. Last thing I want is to leave her with open wounds in her heart, if I left her alone without at least trying to patch them up no doubt I would bear a guilt I'd never be able to escape from for the rest of my life.

"O….Okay….I suppose that would be fine." she replied before looking away and staring back at the sky.

I then followed and felt relaxed myself looking up at the night sky and seeing the bright starts flashing like fireflies amongst the black background, "The stars really are beautiful tonight." I said looking up above, also because I didn't want to make things more awkward by not having anything to talk about.

"Yes they sure are…." She then replied in agreement seeing that I could acknowledge their beauty like she did, "You know…seeing them reminds me of this one time when I was little." she began as pleasant memories of her younger child years began to drift into her, "When I was a little girl, my father and mother would always take us out into the countryside to play and have fun as every other family would. And every night, we would then sing and dance together under the stars, which my father told me was bringing honour to the 2 original stars that symbolised the unity of monsters and man. All those stories he told me, about how Leviathan brought an end to the war and united them all under that very night the 2 stars gathered, always touched my heart and gave me something to look forward to each and everyday with my family knowing they would always be there to enjoy life and happiness with me."

"That sounds…really great." I replied feeling touched by what she said.

"It was indeed," she said feeling glad, "In fact, I actually remember something he once said to me regarding the stars." she said as we both looked up once more at the sky, "He told me that one day he and my mother may not be around forever to watch over me, when I one day acquire the throne. But, if I look hard enough to the stars when I'm lonely one day, I'll remember that they will always be watching from above so I'll never be truly alone. Also, if I were to open my heart and eyes to the people down here hard enough, I'll know there will be people who will look out for me and rely on when I need them most." She then shifted to a more depressed tone, "But then, it all changed when my mom was attacked by a rogue monster during the dark tragedy. I felt as though I couldn't do anything at the time, I was complete helpless and useless….that became even more evident when my father gave into Enigma's influence and continued to have countless monsters imprisoned in stone, while could do nothing but watch."

I said nothing after that not knowing what to say, but I did feel her pain of being helpless and being unable to do anything but sit by and let it unfold, that kind of pain is even worse than that of failure….at least you can try and know you did something when you fail, but the thought of knowing you could do something but didn't or being unable to make a difference and living with that guilt was far worse.

"But then one day, when I met you it all changed." she then added which surprised me a little.

"M…me?" I pointed to myself curiously.

She then nodded, "When I felt like there was nothing I could do to save myself against those bandits in the first, you came and did something to save me. In fact, since then when you did something in the face of overwhelming odds and after what you told me about never giving up and always trying, you showed me that it is possible to do something. You helped open my eyes to beyond my world, helped me stand strong in the face of fear, and even helped me realise I am stronger than I see myself." she said referring to back when I helped trained her and inspired her about what gave me strength and will to never give up.

Hearing how she still had hope and faith in me gave me inspiration and reignited my resolve which had long been wavering and dwindled since I became separated from the friends I knew and cared for. But now that I have a new bond here, that gave me all the more reason too keep fighting on, for that's surely what my friends would have wanted me to do, to help those in need and to bring smiles and unity, "And you can be sure that I'll be here for you and that you can trust in me to help you through these tough times." I said assuringly to her which made her nod, feeling she could trust in me to keep my promise, "So….are you feeling better having got that off your chest Ikuchi?" I asked considerately hoping she would at least have felt some comfort from our talk under the stars.

"A little I suppose," she replied softly before smiling lightly at me, "Th…thank you….I….really needed that. You're actually the only person besides Jilen who may be able to understand me or what I'm going through now."

"It's alright Ikuchi," I replied, "After all with everything that just happened there's no way I am going to turn my back on you or anyone else who may need help, this I promise." I said firmly before looking at the sky once more, "Well it's getting late now, how about we get some sleep now? Worrying about things beyond our control won't be doing us any good." I suggested calmly.

She then looked at me curiously, "How can you be so composed yourself?" Ikuchi asked interested, "You are now a wanted criminal in my kingdom being hunted by nearly everyone I can imagine, and any trust that you worked so hard to build with the people is all gone now. Doesn't that worry you at all?"

"It does, more than you think." I replied which surprised her, "Being stuck here alone away from the rest of my friends and family back in my home, as we'll as worrying for all their sakes and how they would about me if they found out I was trapped here. Those very thoughts have actually been eating away at me ever since I came here." I stated feeling downcast looking back at it now on how this whole mess actually started after I took Reiji's request back at LDS, "I hoped that if I could build strong connections here and get everyone to trust me and believe I am no threat, I may be able to find help on getting back to my world as well as making friends here in the process if I can. After that incident, with all my hard work up in smoke and everyone now on the hunt for me, I too felt lost and alone like you, with no one else I could count and rely on anymore here. Just the thought of such things almost made me give up hope on ever coming back home."

The princess almost found herself crying at my story, "I...didn't know it was that hard for you as well Ryuga." Ikuchi replied as tears began to form in her eyes, "I...I really am sorry…." She wept as she tried to give me a warm embrace to comfort me.

I was a little surprised at first but decided to return it with a small hug of my own, "iI's alright Ikuchi, but I should also be thanking you as well."

"H...huh?" She looked up at me puzzled.

"At first I thought I any chance of me getting home or gaining back this world's trust was gone, but...after seeing you and Jilen still having at least some faith in me earlier, it kinda helped make me feel better. In fact, just having you both at least still believing in me is enough to keep me going myself." I replied looking at her with a glad expression.

"Really? Just the 2 of us...is enough to motivate you to keep trying? Eventhough it all seems completely hopeless?" She asked.

"More than you think Ikuchi," I replied with a firm nod, "But I also remembered something my friends taught me, something I should always keep in mind if I ever come into a situation where all seems hopeless." I added, "Every situation in life is like a pendulum, there are times when things go our way and when things don't. If everything goes as we want and we don't take into account what can go wrong, we can become disillusioned and naive to reality. But if we focus about the tragic past too much, we'll be unable to prepare for what obstacles may be present to us tomorrow, not to mention we may also lose sight of the good that may have happened before. Also who knows, maybe tomorrow might be better since today wasn't on our side."

She found herself nearly speechless at my optimistic views and didn't know how to respond, "I know it isn't easy but….we'll have to at least try and never give up, otherwise it really will be over and everything we have been through until now would have been for nothing. For now I say we should at least be at our best for what the next day holds and get some rest for the night"

Ikuchi then gained a light smile before nodding, "I….understand…alright let's go back inside for now." she replied in agreement. After we headed inside the cabin, I made sure to add some more wood for the fire so that we would still stay warm for the night. After that got into a bed each and went under the covers to sleep. Soon however, Ikuchi then rolled over to speak to me, "Ryuga…." she said which made me turn to her, "Thank you for hearing me out and sharing with me what was on your mind….now I see I shouldn't worry too much for I can't do, but more for what I can try to change. Thanks to you, i think I may know what I should do, at least for now…."

"Oh really? That's great." I said feeling glad for her lifted spirit, "And what would that be? Just wondering…."

"Well…." She thought uneasily for a moment before deciding to share, "After what my father told me, the last thing he would want is for me to mourn for the rest of my life. Instead, he would want me to be both safe and strong, and that's what I'll do in honour of him, at least for now…." she answered feeling more secure and comforted.

"That's very well said, I'm sure he'll be very proud of you for thinking that way." I said back to her, "Also, I promise we'll get through this one way or another, we'll find a way out of this together." I said trying to look brave even though I myself was already very scared out of my wits, but I couldn't afford to show any weakness now for she needed someone strong that she can rely on, "It won't be easy but….as long as we never give up it won't ever be impossible. And you can be sure that, I'll never leave you to suffer alone. If you ever need….a shoulder to cry on or someone to talk to….You can always come to me."

"I'll be sure to remember that…I'm glad I'm not alone in this anymore." Ikuchi actually could tell that I was feeling just as scared as she was, but she smiled anyway knowing that I did care for her and wanted her to trust me, that alone gave her comfort and strength to rest easy now."Goodnight Ryuga. Rest well." She said as she turned over to the other side and began to drift into sleep, already exhausted by tonight's events and no longer resisting the urge to rest.

It would have been the same for me, if I wasn't feeling on the edge myself. Unlike her I was too agitated to let my guard down for even a moment, firstly because with me being Norvagen's most wanted, anyone could joist barge in while we're sleeping and most vulnerable! Second, I just couldn't hake off the fact I witnessed the king getting poisoned and suffering before my eyes, and how I've been made to look like the villain that time! Seeing all my hard work to earn their trust now fallen down the drain in an instant was a huge blow to my efforts and I didn't know how else I could take that…..And finally, sleeping in the same room as a girl for the first time….really wasn't such a good thing for me, considering what may go on in my head during the night or what I might unintentionally do as well…..I could feel myself sweating bullets for almost half an hour without a wink of sleep since we last spoke till Bahamut finally decided to show himself before me in spirit form, also ensuring his presence wouldn't disturb the sleeping princess.

"Having trouble sleeping Ryuga?" he asked noticing my agitated and nervous expression, "Is something bothering you?"

I then narrowed my eyes with an 'Are you serious?' face at him, "If you knew what's going on inside my head right now you wouldn't even ask that question Bahamut…." I mumbled softly.

"Haha, I suppose it may have been foolish of me to even ask, but I just needed to make sure you were honest with yourself…." he chuckled while scratching his head, before shifting his expression to a more dead serious one, "I know there is much going on in your mind now, but I assure that you can rest easy. In fact, we'll each take turns keeping watch tonight, over you two and Fafnir."

"Thanks you guys." I replied as I breathed feeling relieved before recalling a more pressing matter, "So then…how is-"

He then answered already knowing my question before i finished it, "As of now Jormangandr and Tiamat are about to tend to her wounds and the poison inside her, and I plan on overseeing them for a moment before taking the first shift of watch duty." he answered while showing signs of worry for his sister, "But, you can rest assured, she will be fully recovered and treated by tomorrow morning. By this I swear as guardian dragon of pendulum dimension." he said while bowing his head in respect, still acknowledging me as his master form the past.

I nodded in acknowledgment, "That's a relief…." I stated in response before closing my eyes and letting myself drift off into dreamland, "If there's a time I…no…we need you guys more than ever….it's now. Until we get to the bottom of this and clear our names, we'll all be targets and can be attacked at any time….we may need to be on our guard always and risk our lives each day just going out to survive and find answers. But….at least with you all by our side, I just know we can and will make it through this….no matter how long….it..takezzzzz" I said as I dozed off.

"And during that time and beyond, you shall have our full support and power master." Bahamut said in response with a bow before he took his leave.

 **(Dragon POV)**

Inside Ryuga's duel disk at his sacred temple, Bahamut returned to find Jormangandr trying his best to tend to Fafnir's injured wing and the poison arrow sticking out from it. He had managed to secure safely on the ground with his large front legs before grabbing onto the arrow with his teeth, "Hold on, this may sting a bit." he mumbled as he pulled back with such great force he took the entire arrow out in one try!

"Argh!" Fafnir roared as a sudden strike of pain shook through her wing before it began to lessen, "Pant….Thank…you…." she gasped in exhaustion, "That arrow was beginning to take its toll on me….Had it been inside my wing a second longer I may have been…done for…." she breathed.

"It is fortunate it wasn't a hit at your body sister." Bahamut said as he came over to her aid and examining the rest of her wing, "Otherwise we may not even have this conversation."

"How is it?" Fafnir asked weakly looking up to her brothers who were examining the open wound left behind.

Jormangandr eyed the injury carefully and then shook his head, "Hmmm it's no good, while the usual goblin's secret remedy is an effective treating substance, on a poison this potent, it'll have little no effect on a wound of this scale….."

"At this rate, if we are to keep the poison from spreading throughout your entire body, we…." Bahamut lowered his head and closed his eyes in regret, "May have to amputate your entire wing…."

Her eyes widened in shock, "So….will this mean I'll never fly again!?" Fafnir cried in shock, anger and sadness, "Please tell me you have an alternative to this! You just have to!" she added desperately, "Without my wings….I'll be…nothing….Never to take to the skies and soar above the clouds….I'd rather perish then live the rest of my life bound to the ground!" she roared back in response.

Bahamut and Jormannagdr were at a loss on what to do, as they lacked the resources to make a cure….But just as they thought they hit a dead end and were about to perform a heavy-hearted surgery on their sister, "If we resort to conventional treatment perhaps that may be the only possible outcome," A voice spoke out. Turning around they saw Tiamat emerging from the shadows having just heard their conversation and noticing her sister writhing in pain, "However, I on the other hand have far 'less' conventional methods of treatment at my disposal."

"You're saying you have a cure for this Tiamat?" Jormangandr asked in surprise, "I never expected the queen of darkness who enjoys the suffering of others, to possess any kind of treating ailments."

"Fufufu! You underestimate me as usual dear brother. In the most dire of situations I always carry special remedies for those who rightfully deserve it." she chuckled in response.

"Then what are you waiting for!? Do it already!" Fafnir roared furious as to why Tiamat would only make herself known now.

Her smile then vanished as she turned to her weakened sibling on the ground, "About that dear sister, I came by to make sure you were absolutely prepared for the administration." As she finished, she raised her tail and flashed the purple sting at the end of it, as a drop of venom fell from it.

"Wh…what are you doing?" The blue wyvern asked nervously upon sight of the deadly tip.

"It's a little something called fighting poison with even greater poison. And what better poison to use than the one from my very own insidious sting!" said Tiamat rather evilly.

"Say what!?" The 3 dragons knew Tiamat had thought up many elaborate and logic-defying schemes throughout her life from the original dimension and even the dimensional war, but none were as astounding as the one she planned to undertake!

"Think about it, with my potent venom running its course through your infection, it'll no doubt cancel out the poison that is already inside you. It's a full proof solution that only I and I alone can conjure up." She boosted confidently of herself.

"You're insane if you believe that will ever work!" Jormangandr roared in protest, as he went in between her and Fafnir to keep her from getting any closer.

Turning both her heads to her brothers, "I assume you have a better idea then hmm?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Urgh…." They grunted having no counter arguments to state.

Tiamat then smiled figuring she thought as much, "Besides, no mortal poison can ever stand up to the venom of the dragon overlord's claws. Even if the ideal scenario doesn't happen, one thing we can at least guarantee is that my venom will completely neutralise this poison, ridding her body free of it in the process." After stating her reasons she then turned towards a conflicted Fafnir, "It's your call dear sister, and it's the best and only solution I can offer. Take it or leave it." Jormangandr reluctantly relinquished the responsibility of Fafnir's wellbeing into the hydra's claws, as much as he despised it, he had no other way.

Fafnir then entered a state of deep thought. After considering and reconsidering the possible consequences and weighing them with her current predicament, along with her possible recovery, she knew she would have to risk it all if she was to have even a chance of surviving with her wings fully intact. She then took a deep breath in defeat, "Alright Tiamat, not because I trust you…I just don't, and because we have no other option." she said as she narrowed her eyes upwards to her sister who stood above her.

"I knew you'd see things my way. It was the inevitable outcome after all." Tiamat replied pleased with the answer, "Besides, I'm partially responsible for you ending up like this, so consider this my way of making it up to you." She said as she manoeuvred herself over to the arrow shot on the right wing.

"Are you sure about this?" Bahamut asked still feeling concerned with Fafnir's wellbeing, "That there won't be any side effects and that Fafnir will recover quickly?"

She then turned to him with a cheerful smile, "Would I ever lie to a member of my beloved family? Since when have I ever steered any of you wrong?" she said while winking cheekily at her 3 siblings who sweat dropped at her statement.

"Is that a trick question Tiamat?" Jormangandr asked with a raised eyebrow while Bahamut nodded in agreement.

"Gah! Just get it over with already!" Fafnir roared impatiently unable to bear with the pain any longer, "I can't take another second of this already agonising pain! At this point nothing you do to will ever come close to what i just went through!" She then shot a fearsome glare towards Tiamat behind her, "Do as your worst! I'll take it like a dragon!"

"As you wish Fafnir, although I think you may want to regret those words." Tiamat replied with sinister smiles as she raised her tail and stinger, causing Bahamut and Jormangandr to back away nervously, "Now open wide and say aaah." she said as she struck her tail forward with great force!

At the last minute Fafnir's will broke into pieces and she immediately changed her mind, but unfortunately for her she was too late, as she had severely underestimated the tail's speed. In the blink of an eye it struck directly at the wing's wound and dug deep inside it!

STRIKE!

"EEEEYYYAAAAAARRRGGGGHHH!" The cries and wails of pain echoed throughout the duel disk's spirit realm. It was going to be a long night for Bahamut and his siblings indeed…..

 **And there's chapter 10! Sorry this took so long, had many commitments and this one was tricky and long to type up so hope it was worth the wait. Also still working on the dialogue and content so forgive me if certain words or statements seem repetitive or out of place. Also after today I decided to rate it T just in case.**

 **Story-wise things sure have taken a turn for the worse for Ryuga and co. as the near the entire ritual dimension is turned against them and Enigma finally begins to make his move! What shall happen to our heroes from this point on? Stay tuned to find out!**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

After leaving his mistress in the hands of Ryuga, the only other person he could trust at this time, Jilen continued retracing his steps back through the dark woods of the night, hoping to find his way back to the kingdom gates. After a while of looking out for signs and scanning the ground for his old tracks he finally found the kingdom once more at the edge of the forest. He immediately took notice of the guards now standing above on the walls surrounding the kingdom and the gates sealed shut. There were also a number of torches lit around the walls and lighting up the area somewhat brightly, as well as some more light from behind the walls as well. "Hmm…it would appear that the recent incident has stirred quite a panic in the kingdom, going through the front entrance will be completely out of the question…." The veteran captain thought to himself after observing the situation. He then grabbed a portion of his cape and pulled it over his head, until he wore it as a cloak (Similar to that from Academia) which made it easier to hide in the shadows casted by the large wall as he made his way around to the back of the entire wall. When he arrived he began searching for a dark colored brick on the wall, as soon as he found it, he pressed and it caused an secret door to reveal itself.

"It is most fortunate that none have managed to find this escape route yet, and it is in our best interests that it stays that way." The old captain thought to himself as he walked through, years ago he had this secret entrance designed in the wall in the event that the kingdom would become overrun by invaders or would have become much too dangerous to live in, therefore it would allow some survivors to escape to safety of the woods. For years he had hoped he would never have to use it, but tonight he was fortunate he still had it as an emergency escape for him and Ikuchi to use, now that the kingdom had fallen into chaos as a result of the king's sudden assassination.

As he traversed deeper into the town he made sure to stick to the shadows and avoiding all the torches and lighting where he could be exposed and easily spotted. He overheard plenty of voices from inside and around the square or inside housing, as people planned to turn in for the night or tired to get others to calm down and rest. He felt saddened that he couldn't tell them the truth just yet, for he knew in the kingdom's current panicked state they wouldn't listen. Eventually he came to a shaded alley on the way to the palace door, when he overheard footsteps and the sounds of talking, 2 people to be precise. He looked along the length of the wall and saw a pair of blade knights talking with one another, one carrying a lighted torch and the other carrying a set of rolled up paper sheets and a bucket filled with paint like glue.

Jilen quickly hid at a certain distance behind a narrow but shaded corridor from their lit torch as they began rolling what looked like a poster on the wall of the castle. While he couldn't make out what they were saying, he could tell from the tone of their voices that they were feeling disappointed and they also muttered something about having to stay behind and guard the palace by their superiors, and that they wouldn't be able to join the hunt. After sticking the sheet of paper to the palace wall they went off further into the town to continue with the rest of their workload.

"What could they have be talking about?" Jilen wondered as he moved in for a better look at the sheet of paper the 2 guards posted on the wall, he saw it to be a piece of old brown scroll sheets pasted. To his surprise he found the face portraits of Princess Ikuchi and Ryuga on it, with a reward title listed on top. "Is this….a wanted poster? Of my lady and my lord!?" He asked himself. When he took a closer look at the sum total posted below the pictures he couldn't believe what he had just seen at the fine prints, "100000 gold pieces for the safe return of the princess and an additional 50000 for the head of Ryuga!? This cannot be!"

"Indeed it is." A sinister voice spoke to him from behind in the quickly turned around and overheard the sounds of approaching footsteps. Emerging from the shadows was a hunchbacked figure doning a full on purple body robe (like the rare hunters from DM), his also wore a pied mask, one half with a white smiling face and the other being black with a scowl on it.

Upon sight of the newcomer on the scene, Jilen's eyes widened, "Y..you're…the masked thief Masuku!" He exclaimed in shock.

"I see you still remember me Jilen, my old friend." The cloaked man replied, "When last we met, you and your men managed to thwart my gang's attempt to pillage the royal treasure room of all its ancient relics and riches. You may have been able to capture my men, but i still managed to make off with one of your king's most carefully guarded diadhanks, and even some of his collection of monsters as well which are now part of my own personal deck." He smirked as he held out his stolen trophy now strapped to his arm, to further rub in some salt in Jilen's old emotional wounds.

In fact that very failure was what made him lose his former position with the king and was soon claimed by Enigma. Being reminded of that made him even more furious to see the old face again, "How dare you turn the sacred protectors of the royal family into weapons of crime!? And what nerve have you to show yourself in the streets of our beloved kingdom of Norvagen!? Answer yourself!" He yelled.

"Oh? You mean you do not know? How sad it must be to have not heard of he new and delicious decree just given by Lord Enigma, or should I say King Enigma! Hahaha!" He laughed in response.

The news came as a shock to the captain, "Enigma...rule in place of the king!? What ridiculous nonsense do you speak of!?" Jilen yelled furiously.

"Oh I merely speak of the truth my dear old friend. But since you truly have no idea of what i am talking about, i shall clue you in." He replied, "As you are probably aware, Avalon, being the incompetent king as he is, is no longer able to rule Norvagen. How sad isn't it hee hee hee!"

Jilen grasped his fist tightly resisting the urge to attack out of blind rage, but after bear witnessing the king's tragic moment not so long ago and Masuku making mockery of it was testing the limits of his patience and control, "Choose your next few words carefully you fiend, otherwise i will take your entire head right off your body here faster than you can blink!" He yelled barely managing to restrain his voice so he wouldn't give his position away.

"Oh? Have i touched a nerve there? Hee hee, very well i shall try to mind my manners." Masuku chuckled, "As i was saying, Enigma, who has just assumed the role as acting King has issued this most splendid decree if i do say so myself."

 **(Flashback)**

Right after Enigma had discovered Ikuchi's absence from the palace, he immediately summoned all the people of Norvagen to gather before him at the palace gates while he issued a decree of the highest importance. They all gathered below while Enigma, along with his servants Prometheus and Pandora gathered at his sides as he announced, "The loss of our beloved king Avalon, is a bitter blow to our bright and pure kingdom of Norvagen. But for Ikuchi to have also gone missing as well, is a terrible tragedy indeed. It is with a heavy heart, that I assume the role of king in place of the royal family." As Enigma said these words, the crowds of people gathered beneath the announcing platform began to wept bitter tears at the loss of the entire royal family. He then shifted to a more serious tone, "And for all of this, to have been responsible from the wretched hands and deeds of an outsider whom we welcomed with open arms for an allegiance of peace, is a complete and utter outrage!" The people then yelled and shook their fists as they howled with anger and disgust, "I will not allow such insolence and complete desecration of our beloved kingdom to go unpunished! Therefore i send this message through all the land! That wretched dragon tamer shall be hunted down to the ends of the earth, and dealt with most mercilessly even if it takes to the end of time!" The crowds then cheered and applauded, "Anyone who sides with that traitor of our trust shall also be considered an enemy, and will be rid clean from the face of this pure world as well! Furthermore, I shall also offer a reward you would be fools to refuse!" Everyone fell silent after his statement, "For the head of Ryuga i vow to grant a total of 50000 gold pieces to whoever brings it straight to me!" The entire audience gasped in amazement, it almost seemed too good to be true, until Enigma added something even more unbelievable at the end, "If that isn't enough to your liking, a reward of 100000 gold coins shall also be awarded for the safe return of our beloved princess Ikuchi!" That final word set them off the edge as the cheers of the people roared and echoed throughout the streets and kingdom. He then silenced them with a hand, "But make no mistake, if we do not act now Ryuga will no doubt bring an invading army to besiege us if he gets the chance. But even if he succeeds in doing so, it shall do him no avail, for when they attack, we shall be ready!" And with those concluding words the crowds roared with applause as they granted him every ounce of support they could offer while he took his leave from the premises.

 **(Present)**

"And there you have it, a most inspiring speech indeed wouldn't you agree?" Masuku stated as he finished his entire reciting of Enigma's words.

"He said what!?" Jilen gasped in disbelief at what he just heard from the masked man's lips.

"A hefty reward is in store for whoever brings back the traitorous dragon tamer Ryuga and an even larger bonus is in store for the safe return of the princess. Now doesn't that sound absolutely tasty!? And naturally who wouldn't want to take advantage of such an opportunity that may only come once in a lifetime! Hee hee hee!" He giggled with glee.

"He plans to enlist the aid of foul criminal scum to capture Ryuga and Ikuchi!? That's outrageous!" Jilen thought to himself in horror, realising the immense danger the 2 children would be in from not only Norvagen but the entire ritual dimension as well!

"But that is not all! Oh no, mere wealth isn't the only reward that awaits he who succeeds!" Masuku continued sounding more high pitched and crazy with excitement, "Lord enigma plans to firmly rule in the king's place once the princess returns and agrees to marry him! And when he does, the bounty hunter responsible for accomplishing both tasks shall also be given a position to rule at his side over the new Norvagen kingdom when that happens!" He boasted, "Now just think, with ME sitting in that very position alongside Enigma, no one will ever dare stand against us and the new all powerful age we shall usher in with an iron fist! Hahahaha!"

"Masuku, don't you realise that Enigma obviously framed Ryuga for a crime he didn't commit!?" Jilen yelled furiously, "He's merely using you as unwitting pawns to carry out his dirty work and evil plans! Once he has no more use for you, you shall have no reward! He's the real villain here! So you he's the one you should be pointing your diadhank at!"

The masked duelist however shrugged it off uncaringly, "Hmph! I couldn't care less about any of that nonsense." he stated, "All that matters to me is that lord Enigma is willing to pay a hefty reward sum of money, jewels and gold for the return of the princess and the capture of Ryuga. And to top it off, with a place at his table? I have no intention of letting that reward claimed by anyone other than myself! Ahahahaha!"

Jilen then closed his eyes in defeat, knowing there was no way to get through to him, "As always your greed sickens me and you're a fool to turn a blind eye to such a travesty that's surely at hand!"

"Hmph! I see you haven't changed at a bit since we last met on the battlefield, even now in these dark times you still prefer to live by your old and outdated ways of living while refusing to make the most obvious decisions….How boring…." He scoffed before smiling underneath his mask, "You know Jilen, I am feeling awfully generous today. So how about I make you a deal that you can't possibly refuse, and would save us both plenty of time and trouble hmm?"

"Excuse me?" The honorable warrior captain replied, "You actually believe i would make a deal with the likes of criminal scum like you?"

"Oh yes indeed," Masuku grinned, "If you be so kind as to hand over the princess and that boy, I will be more than willing to split the bounty in half! Imagine returning home a hero of highest honours, and how generously Lord Enigma will reward you for your loyalty to the throne. To top it off, I will even be willing to forgive you for all those other times you tried to capture me yet failed all so miserably, " He cheekily offered politely while holding out a hand of allegiance, "Besides, even you must realise that there will be many others besides myself who will be trying for the reward and position to rule, but if you join forces with me, we will ensure that it shall end with just me and you. Think about it, a kingdom with no more crime and chaos, surely that is what you want isn't it? What your whole life had been dedicated towards? So what do you say?"

Despite the temptations of Masuku's offer, instead of stirring greed they only created sheer fury within Jilen's heart (at the turn of events and at what Enigma had plotted with his new power as ruler, but worse still, actually having the thought that a warrior of his noble caliber would actually stoop down to the level of a greedy criminal all for money and glory) which soon revealed themselves in an outburst, "Never!" He yelled angrily, "I made an oath to the king long ago, and vowed that I would protect the princess with my very life if it ever comes to it! Never would I ever betray that oath or princess Ikuchi for something as vile and disgusting as money, let alone being from that swine Enigma!" He continued ashe remembered the poor innocent soul that had been hurt for so many years and now Enigma no doubt planned to take advantage of her once she was back in his hands. This was something he wasn't about to let happen, "So feel free to take back that so called generous offer, for as long as i have blood in my veins, neither you nor any other vile bounty hunter shall ever lay a filthy hand on Ryuga or ikuchi!"

Underneath his mask, Masuku's smile vanished and was replaced with a disappointed frown, "It would seem that you intend to stand in my way. How most unfortunate, I honestly didn't want things to come to this." he then smirked, "Hee hee Hee! Actually, yes I was hoping for this, because now it looks like I have no other choice but to beat the answer out of you or better yet bring you in for treason against the royal order! Then lord enigma will reward me generously up front for this piece of news!" He chuckled as he revealed a diadhank underneath his cloak

Jilen then grit his teeth furiously at his opponent's statement, "I shall never lose to the likes of you! Prepare to fall by my blade you scoundrel!" He then activated his diadhank on the spot, "You can be sure that I will protect lord Ryuga and lady ikuchi to the end!"

As the 2 duelists activated their diadhanks, 5 card tablets each erupted on opposing sides of the field.

DUEL!

 **Masuku: 4000**

 **Jilen: 4000**

"I'll be taking the first turn!" Jilen declared, "I'll start by placing one monster in face down defence mode." One of his slates flipped downwards sideways, "Then I will place two facedowns. It's your turn." he concluded as 2 card slates fell forward.

"Is that all Jilen? I honestly expected much more from the captain of the royal guard." The masked duelist snickered from underneath his front.

"Are you going to waste my time or duel Masuku?" Jilen questioned impatiently.

"I was just about to say the same thing Hehehe!" his opponent snickered, "I can't waste any more precious time on a distraction like you. Very soon I will have to get back to my search, before someone else claims the bounty. So it seems I will have to make your end quick and painful!"

Jilen then grit his teeth in frustration upon realising, "Tch! He's right, the longer I stay here the more danger they will be in. I will have to end this as quickly as I can, before anymore of these vultures appear to take my mistress and Ryuga." he thought to himself.

"My draw!" A card slate erupted before the masked duelist. "Heehehe! Prepare to face one of my favourite monsters! Grand tiki elder come forth!" A masked voodoo spirit appeared from the card slate with a ghostly wail, "Now elder! Destroy his facedown monster!" he commanded as the spirit fired a will o wisp flame towards the facedown monster, revealing it to be an armoured knight before destroying it!

"You triggered the special effect of my familiar knight!" Jilen announced, "When it's destroyed in battle it allows me to summon a level four monster from my hand!" he said as another of his slates flipped forward, "And I choose my dark crusader!" Taking to the field was a dark armoured warrior with a huge sword and a blood red cape! "Of course, as a side effect you are permitted to summon a monster from your hand too." Jilen reluctantly stated.

"Hahahaha! A most foolish move! By doing that you've allowed me to call forth and even more fiendish masked monster from my hand! Behold my Nuvia the wicked!" A card slate flipped forward and released another more powerful masked spirit! "And I must thank you for that as well!"

"Why is that?" Jilen asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Because, should Nuvia the wicked ever be summoned through normal means it would destroy itself. But thanks to your mistake you have done me a favour most huge!" he cackled sinisterly.

"Not quite, you see your monster also loses 200 attack points for every monster I control, with 1 that means her points reduce to 1800!" Jilen stated as a purple aura appeared around the masked spirit causing her to weaken slightly.

 **2000-1800**

"It matters not! For she still has more attack points than your crusader! And as I said earlier, to show my appreciation, I shall obliterate your measly monster and bring you closer to your defeat!" Masuku called out as his second masked monster screeched as she charged towards Jilin's monster!

"If you really think I would let you go through with such a predictable tactic then you are sorely mistaken!" The brave captain proclaimed, "I activate the trap dark mist! When you attack, this turn by sending a dark monster with the same level as your monster from my deck to the graveyard, it cancels out the attack!" A card slate then appeared before him, "I send my level 4 chthonian soldier to the graveyard to block Nuvia the wicked!" The card slate exploded into sparkles which generated a black fog, covering up dark crusader and stopping Nuvia dead in her tracks!

"Humph! Any trick to gain another turn...and to waste even more precious time for the both of us." Masuku grunted annoyed before picking a new card, "Since it has come to this I play mask of the accursed!" The spell revealed a ghastly mask with nails in it.

"What kind of vile ornament is that!?" he gasped in shock and disgust at first glance of it.

"The kind that will spell your eventual doom!" Masuku answered, "By equipping this to a monster, not only does render it incapable of attacking, but you also take 500 points of damage during each of your standby phases due to the curse it carries! Watch as your crusader gains a new face fitting of its caliber!" The mask then shot out and attached itself to Dark crusader's face, who tried hard to peel it off but to no avail!

"You dare taint my monster with your foul magic!?" Jilen yelled angrily.

"Oh I don't merely dare, I just did! Ahahaha!" His opponent laughed, "And very soon you'll be wearing a mask of shame for failing your precious princess!" he said as he places one card facedown, ending his turn.

"Grrr you'll pay for this you swine…." Jilen vowed as he closed his eyes, "My lady, please be strong, I shall be there for you soon. But for now," he then drew a new card slate.

"Well well it appears it is now the standby phase of your turn, so now you must pay the price of my mask's cursed magic!" The hideous mask then gained a dark purple aura which then flowed into Jilen himself as he felt pain squeezing the life energy out of him!

 **Jilen: 4000-3500**

"Urg! Disgusting..." he grunted.

"Hee Hee Hee! It will be most amusing to watch you squirm under the curse of my magnificent masks, and you can be sure there will be many more to come!" Masuku laughed hysterically. "But why torture yourself needlessly, just stand down and I'll forget this happened, maybe if I am generous enough I will pitch in a good word on your behalf after I claim the reward."

Jilen then hissed angrily at his opponents outrageous statement, "Grrr! As long as I stand here and blood flows through my veins, no one, not you nor anyone else will lay their vile hands on my mistress! So says I!" he yelled, "I took an oath to the royal family, an oath of loyalty which I have and will proudly uphold till the end of time! And no evildoer or threat will ever make me break it, especially not the likes of you!" he declared pointing out at Masuku.

"Hmph! Defiant and pathetic to the end I see." he scoffed, "A shame how you value your ridiculous sense of honour much more than your own life. The good it will do you once i hand over your meaningless carcass over to Lord Enigma!" he cried as he began laughing out loud to the sky like a deranged lunatic.

"You're the one that's pathetic! Utilising such beguiling trickery and willingly hunt innocent people all for mere profit!" Jilen yelled, "A person like you will never defeat me! This I swear!" He then looked at his new slate, "This will do, I now play the magic card pot of greed! Thanks to this card I can add 2 new cards into my possession!" 2 new card slates appeared from the ground in place of Jilen's spell. "Then I'll continue my turn with the spell Altar of mist!" The slate flipped forward, "Now my spell stays active for 3 turns, and when they are over I can then add any ritual spell card of my choosing straight to my hand! Until then this spell can't be destroyed by card effects!"

"Hmph! It doesn't matter much to me, for I'll have destroyed you long before then!" Masuku shrugged uninterested.

"We shall see about that you despicable infidel." Jilen continued, "For now I activate my crusader's special effect! By sending a dark monster from my hand to the graveyard I can boost its attack strength by 400 points!" A card slate from his hand changed into sparkles which were absorbed into his warrior's blade! "I discard my Necro Gardna to boost his attack points right to 2000!"

 **1600-2000**

"Is there a point to that? Your monster is still incapable of carrying out an attack." Masuku stated.

"Now that my monster's attack points have changed my trap card of last will activates!" Jilen answered as his facedown flipped up, "This allows me to draw until I hold 5 cards in total!" 4 new card slates materialised on Jilen's field signifying a near full hand of 5.

"I see...so that was your aim. How very clever….." Masuku scoffed, "No matter! Since you drew a card outside of the draw phase I can activate my talisman of reversal!" The trap flipped up, "Since you drew outside of the draw phase, I now draw the same number of cards that are in your hand! Which means I now draw 5 new cards!" 5 new card slates erupted from the ground before Masuku.

"How unfortunate…." Jilen scoffed before moving on to another card he had, "Now I summon picador fiend from my hand in attack mode!" The skeleton fiend riding on a bone horse took to the field next to crusader. "Now go! Avenge your comrade by striking down his grand tiki elder!" The rider then fired a beam which pierced through grand tiki elder and it exploded in response!

 **Masuku: 4000-3900**

"I will end my turn at that." Jilen concluded, "And with a second monster present on my field your Nuvia the wicked now loses another 200 attack points, making it that much more vulnerable to an attack." As he finished the purple weakening aura appeared around Nuvia as she became weaker once more.

 **1800-1600**

"Well well, It appears luck hasn't completely left you yet, let's see if we can change that for the worse!" Masuku said out loud, "My draw!" As looked at it he began to giggle gleefully, "Excellent! With this card the time for your destruction draws ever more closer!"

"What madness do you speak of?" Jilen asked.

"You're about to find out! First I play the spell masquerade!" The spell flipped forward and glowed, "With this I can take control of any monster on the field that is equipped with a mask card! And now who better than your already masked dark crusader!" Dark crusader then vanished and then appeared on the masked mastermind's field, which infuriated Jilen even more so!

"First you taint my monster with your putrid mask and now you take it from me!? How many despicable acts are you willing to commit for simple profit!?" he yelled angrily, disgusted with such disgraceful acts.

"As much as I need to, only this time I won't need to go any further because it will be over soon!" Masuku answered, "I activate another spell! Monster replace! Thanks to this I am now allowed I replace my Nuvia the wicked with a different monster in my hand! So now in her place I now call forth melchid the four faced beast!" The female fiend monster returned to his hand and was replaces by a 4 faced fiend with red and yellow faces.

"You would replace your Nuvia with a weaker monster?" Jilen questioned curiously.

"You couldn't possibly understand what I intend to do, so instead watch as I now tribute your crusader and my Melchid the four faced beast! To call forth my masked beast des Gardius!" Both monsters exploded into sparkles before a hideous 3 headed/masked fiend monster with vicious claws tore out of the card slate and landed onto the field!

"3300 attack points…." Jilen breathed.

"Watch them tear you to pieces! Des Gardius! Rend and tear his picador fiend to pieces!" His fiend then leapt into the air and prepared to rip Jilen's monster to shreds with its fearsome claws!

"I do not think so!" Suddenly a ghostly warrior appeared in front of Des gardius' claws and blocked the incoming attack!

"What happened!?" Mask exclaimed at the unexpected development.

"By banishing necro Gardna while it is in the graveyard, I can block any incoming attack that you may try to wage at me." Joel answered as he nodded at his warrior's sacrifice to save his comrade in arms, "I told you Masuku, I will not ever lose to the likes of you!"

"Grr you're only delaying the inevitable!" Masuku frustratedly growled before switching to a more sinister tone, "And I don't simply mean just your defeat…" The very sound of his voice put Jilen on full alert of the entire situation, "Even you must realize that I am not the only assassin trying for the reward. Lord enigma has sent news to nearly all corners of Norvagen, even as I speak many many bounty hunters are preparing to seek and capture little Ikuchi and the boy known as Ryuga! Imagine the shame you'd feel for the rest of your meaningless life if something were to happen to either of the 2 children who you gave your life to protect hmm?" Jilin's heart then skipped a beat hearing his words, "If not me then surely some other bounty hunter will come for your princess! Even you must realize how futile and pointless it would be to give up your life in order to defend and inevitably lost cause! Ahahahaha!" he laughed uncontrollably.

Jilen knew how very true his words were, but his vow to the king would not allow him to yield so easily, "Perhaps, but the fact doesn't change that I swore an oath to King Avalon to watch over princess ikuchi! Even if it costs me my life I still continue to protect her, not just because of the path but also of my free will!" he yelled filled with energy and even more determined than ever to win the duel so he could return swiftly to the cabin and watch over his bevies princess and her friend who has taught him much ever since their duel at the arena. (Which he treasured most of all in the exhilarating duel they underwent before the entire kingdom)

"Tch! You really are hopeless, you. Just haven't realised that, just like this duel! It's obvious you cannot win!" The masked duelist yelled as he ended his turn by playing another facedown card.

"If there's one thing I do know, is that the tides of battle can easily turn if one has faith. Ryuga taught me that during our duel, and now I too shall have faith in my deck and monsters who have loyally and honourably served me and the royal family for so many years! Something you will never understand!" Jilen retorted as he began his turn, "I draw!" He then smirked at the card he drew, which was the result of putting faith in his deck, "I summon Banderillero fiend in attack mode!" The bat like monster appeared on Jilen's field with a loud shriek!

"Ha! That weakling doesn't come close to my beast!" Masuku mocked arrogantly at the sight of the small monster.

"Like many others you fail to see the true value in a monster, and that arrogant oversight will cost you dearly." Jilen stated remembering something Ryuga once taught him during their duel, "When Banderillero fiend is normal summoned, it destroys one monster on your field!"

"What!?"

"Shatter his vile masked beast now!" Jilen commanded as Bandelerro screeched and fired a beam from its jaws which pierced through Des gardius, causing it to explode!

Masuku then held up his arm and cloak to shield himself from the inkling blast, "Tch! To think one of my strongest monsters would be done in so easily…to a weakling nonetheless…." He then smirked underneath his mask, "But your monster's victory is also my gain!" The 3 masks left behind from its face then collected into an even more hideous and grotesque looking one.

"What in the inferno is that!?" Jilen exclaimed at the horrendous sight.

"When des gardius is destroyed, it leaves behind 3 masks which combine into an entirely new mask thanks to it's special ability! It's called the mask of remnants! And I'm allowed to activate straight from my deck thanks to you destroying my masked monster!" his opponent answered, "Now it equips straight onto one of your monsters! And I think I will take your picador fiend next! It;s a one size fit for all!"

"Another vile mask which bewitches the hearts of my monsters….I shouldn't be surprised since you rely on such tricks to win." Jilen grunted feeling annoyed at the repeated turn of events.

"That makes 2 monsters I've stolen from you, you must really hate me by now hehehe! What's the matter? Are you able to harm one of your precious monsters hmm? Then again you can't attack since your pitiful bandelerro has to few attack points!" he mocked pointing at the former captain being put into such a humiliating position.

"I will make you regret that you fiend! Mark my words!" Jilen vowed furiously as he drew a new card slate, "I play premature burial! By paying 800 life points I can resurrect a monster from my graveyard! So I will revive my chthonian soldier!" The vicious knight monster appeared through the spell with a loud battle cry.

 **Jilen: 3500-2700**

"Now, by discarding a level 5 or higher dark monster from my hand, I can special summon dark grepher from my hand in attack mode! Come forth!" As dark general fiend was sent into a vase yard portal from Jilen's hand, a dark warrior with red eyes and a long sword appeared on the field.

"So you have 3 monsters now….this is getting good." Masuku spoke out feeling interested.

"No they won't, not for you at least!" Jilen yelled, "Chthonian soldier attacks picador fiend! Go dark cleaver!" The soldier looked back at him in surprise before nodding in acknowledgement, after seeing his master's eyes and knowing what he planned. He then roared as he charged forward with his sharp blades towards his controlled ally!

"Hahaha! This is almost too easy! You're trying to destroy yourself!" Masuku chuckled at the outrageous act of attacking with a weaker monster, "But I think it'll be more fun if I did this first! Watch as I activate my mask of perplexity!" The trap flipped up and launched a gas mask of sort before it shot out and stuck to Jilin's face!

"Gargh! What is this!? I can't see anything!" Jilen cried as his vision completely blacked out!

"That's the point! Now you'll never know I which monster you'll attack, mine or yours. Haha!" Masuku laughed as he watched Jilen try to pry the mask off but it was stuck hard..

"Y..you!" Jilen growled as he saw 2 cards appears before his eyes in a dark shadowy field, "Chthonian soldier attack...that one!" he commanded as his warrior charged towards it.

"Now let's see what you chose." The mask on Jilen's faced vanished and it revealed the soldier's attack target.

"Oh no!" his eyes widened,

"Too bad, but you've chosen your monster! Dark grepher! Now watch it destroy the monster you paid 800 precious points on!" Dark grapher then unsheathed his blade and overpowered the smaller warrior with ease before stabbing his blade straight into its chest and making it explode!

"Now quite, you won't be getting out of this unscathed!" Jilen announced as his soldier was beaten.

 **Jilen: 2700-2200**

 **Masuku: 3900-3400**

"What? How did I lose points?" Masuku questioned as his point drop caught him by surprise.

"When chthonian soldier is destroyed in battle, my opponent takes the same amount of battle damage that it's controller took!" Jilen answered, "Why else would I attack using my weaker monster first, knowing it was already outmatched form the start?"

"How clever...that attack was merely to waste my trap..." his opponent scoffed, "Either way I was bound to receive damage one way or another…."

"Exactly, after suffering on the receiving end of your traps I decided I will no longer allow you to fool me anymore, and now with it gone I am free to wage an attack with dark grepher!" The second warrior let out a battle cry as he leapt forward and cleaved Picador fiend in half! Slashing the mask in half and destroying him in the process.

 **Masuku: 3400-3300**

"Forgive me my comrade….But you left me no other choice." Jilen thought to himself feeling regretful about his heavy hearted decision, "Now I switch banderillero fiend into defence mode and place one card facedown." The winged fiend folded up its wings while a card slate fell forward. "With that done the turn is yours."

"How touching, to think you share such a deep connection with your monsters….how sickening.…" Masuku scoffed as he drew a new card slate, "I place one monster in defence mode, and a card facedown." Both cards appeared facedown, "And that's the best I can come up with at the moment, so it's your move now. So go on, feel free to do as you please. Hee hee!"

Jilen narrowed his eyes with suspicion, "A trick? Knowing him he could be luring me attack it, or he could be bluffing...either way I am not about to let him get away with it." Jilen thought carefully. "I draw," As he drew a new card slate he then turned to his facedown, "Now I trigger the trap greed pact. Now we each may draw one card slate into our hand." Each side gained a new card slate.

"Hehehe! You have no idea how big a mistake you have just made." Masuku thought to himself as a grin stretched across his face as he gazed upon what he just received.

"Alright Dark grepher! Attack and destroy his facedown monster!" Jilen then commanded as his dark warrior charged and sliced the card in half revealing it to be a 3 eyed fiend monster!

"Why thank you, you did exactly as I hoped for." Masuku called out.

"Come again?"

"The monster you just destroyed was my sangan! When sent to the graveyard its ability lets me add a new monster from my deck whose attack strength is less than or equal to 1500!" A new slate erupted from the ground and revealed itself, "And the monster I choose, is my ritual Raven! So thank you very much once more!"

"That means only one thing…." The royal captain thought as he sweated and grit his teeth in frustration.

"I take it from that look on your face you know exactly what I intend to do!" Masuku laughed noticing his expression, "I hope you are pleased because this is your doing! Honestly, you are just so naive and easy to manipulate it's just laughable!"

"I…..end my turn." Jilen begrudgingly replied hoping what he had already would be enough of a defence against whatever monstrosity Masuku would call forth on his incoming turn.

The masked duelist eagerly drew his next card, "My turn, and with it my victory will be all but closer! I've wasted far too long on you, and now is the time I delivered my promise to Lord enigma!" He then played a spell from his hand, "I activate the spell curse of the masked beast! And by activating my ritual raven's special ability in my hand, it can be treated as the entire summoning requirement for the monster I intend to call forth!" The small bird like fiend monster with masks for eyes became absorbed into the ritual flame of the mask pedestal, before it exploded and called forth a terrifying fiend from within it! "Spirit of the accursed mask, take life from the pitiful host who wears you and emerge to spread terror with your dark horrendous might! I ritual summon! Arise! Level 8! The masked beast!" Appearing on the field was a large red and orange masked fiend monster which wielded a long staff and growled menacingly at Jilen who took a step back. "But there's much more to come! Now I activate the spell forbidden substance!" The slate flipped up which revealed a needle staring filled with toxic liquid. It then shot out onto the back of masked beast causing its muscles to pump up and make it more vicious!

Jilen couldn't believe at what he had just witnessed "Wh...what in Norvagen have you done to your own monster!?" seeing it behave so aggressively made him take a step back in response, it was behaving like a wild unarmed animal ready to snap at closest range!

"Heehehe! What I've done is increase the attacking capabilities of my masked beast!" Masuku answered, "Now he has the power to attack twice and wipe your field clean of monsters and any last line of defiance you have out!" he eagerly cried.

"This….can't be!" Jilen gasped in horror at the attacks about to be waged against him.

"Alright! My masked beast now attacks your pitiful dark grepher and Banderillero fiend! Send them into oblivion!" The masked beast then fired a powerful stream of ghoulish flames from his staff which engulfed both monsters and caused them to explode!

"Gaaaaarrgghh!" Jilen cried as the explosions blasted him back across the alleyway several feet from where he initially stood, into some crates!

CRASH!

 **Jilen: 2200-700**

"Argh….Not…yet!" He grunted as he picked himself up and fight his own injury back to his feet without any intention of giving in to either to his pain or the match.

"I believe you've suffered enough but don't expect me to be as generous to you next turn as I am right now." Masuku said as he approached closer with his masked beast to where Jilen stood, "I place a card face down and end my turn." He concluded as he set a new facedown, "And with that your fate is sealed!"

"Urg...I won't back down, not with what's on the line...it's my...draw!" The brave and noble warrior declared as he drew his final card slate.

"Now I activate my trap! Mask of restrict!" Masuku interrupted as his facedown stone slate flipped forward and generated the hideous mask it depicted, "As long as this mask remains on the field now neither of us can tribute cards!"

"Tch! That would mean both tribute summoning and ritual summoning are now both useless…." Jilen realised.

"And with that your last shred of hope is all gone! Hahahahaha!" The masked duelist laughed wickedly, "Face it! You had no hope of winning from the start, so this was the only natural outcome! Now you shall suffer a most disgraceful end by none other than myself! The Great Masked duelist Masuku! Hahahahaha!" he laughed but as he turned back to Jilen hoping to see his face filled with despair and eyes clouded with fear, he was surprised to see an expression of hope and confidence instead! "Why are you smiling all of a sudden?" His eyes then widened, "Wait you're up to something aren't you? Spit it out! Tell me!"

"It seems you have forgotten something." he replied confidently (While also thanking inside his heart to Lady Ikuchi and Ryuga for not losing faith in him, as he felt them giving him strength to continue fighting even though they weren't present)

"Oh? And what might that be?" his opponent asked curiously.

"It's been 3 whole turns, and now the time has come for me to reap the benefits of my magic card, Altar of Mists!" He revealed as the spell vanished from the field and a new card slate rose from the ground, "Thanks to its effect I can now add any ritual magic card I want to my hand, now I have everything I require to call forth my most powerful warrior of all!"

"Hehehe! It seems you're the one who's forgetting something now, as long as my mask of restrict is in effect you can't summon your precious monster! You would need to sacrifice monsters to ritual summon and my mask prevents that!" Masuku retorted.

"I'm afraid you're sorely mistaken Masuku." Jilen replied, "If there's one thing I learnt after watching Ryuga teach Ikuchi, it's that it's important to be flexible, something Norvagen needs to be, for if we do nothing but hold on to our old ways of living and never change we will be gone like dust in the winds."

"What are you blabbering about now? We're in a duel aren't we not discussing the kingdom's future!"

"I'm doing both." Joel continued, "As much as Norvagen needs to change so does our way of life, and my duelling has changed thanks to Ryuga teaching me this!" He then opened his eyes firmly seeing the path to victory right before his eyes as his ritual spell revealed itself, "I'll show you what I mean by activating advanced ritual art! This ritual spell allows me to ritual summon any monster from my hand, but there's a small catch, the only requirements are that I use normal monsters from my deck!

"So what? My trap is still in effect so you can't tribute anything for a tribute or ritual summon!" Masuku called out.

"You weren't listening, I said I have to use normal monsters in my deck, meaning I will have to send them to my graveyard. Your trap only prevents either of us from tribute get so I am afraid it so doesn't apply to my spell!" Jilen retorted to his opponent's dismay and horror.

"What!? Oh no! This can't be!"

"It is! Now I send my level 5 succubus knight and level 3 vishwar randi to the graveyard so I can ritual summon!" Both female demonic warriors appeared before being absorbed into the ritual circle generated by the spell! "Great warrior of powers most unmatched, take to the field and aid me in this fight to bring absolute justice to this time of evil! I ritual summon! Rise! Level 8! Litmus doom swordsman!" Appearing from out of the circle was a well dressed warrior monster almost like that of a science professor but he also wielded a fearsome set of dual blades which he unsheathed and flashed impressively. "Litmus doom swordsman is unaffected by trap cards, furthermore he can't be destroyed in battle! Needless to say, he's invincible!" Jilen boasted, "Also, while a trap card is face up on the field, like your mask of restrict for instance which you so thoughtfully provided, his attack points rise from 0 to 3000!" The warrior then glowed an aura of red and blue as he powered up immensely!

 **0-3000**

"Impressive, but he still doesn't have enough to overcome my masked beast!" Masuku grunted.

"Not for long, I activate the spell zero blade!" A new spell flipped forward and shot an energy wave straight into the hideous masked fiend! "Thanks to this magical set of sacred blades, your masked beast now loses 1000 attack points!"

 **3200-2200**

"Oh no! That makes my monster weaker than your swordsman!" Masuku gasped.

"But that is not all, my litmus doom swordsman now possess the ability to attack twice this turn! Meaning after it destroys your monster, you'll be finished!" Jilen declared as his warrior charged forward and held out both blades!

"No! How could my perfect strategy and magnificent masks be defeated!? It can't be!" The masked duelist stumbled backwards and tripped over his cloak as the swordsman easily cleaved his precious beast on half before landing before him!

 **Masuku: 3300-2500**

"A masked fool like yourself, should have known better than to harm my lady Ikuchi!" Jilen yelled, "Now litmus doom swordsman, wipe this scum clean off the face of the earth now!" His warrior yelled as he brought down his second blade straight down on the defenceless Masuku!

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" He screamed as the immense force of the blade sent him flying into a wall before he fell to the ground face forward. The sheer force of the blade and impact caused the mask to shatter in half though his face was still hidden by the shade of the night clouds.

 **Masuku: 2500-0**

 **Jilen: WIN!**

"You wore a mask for so long, you failed to see what lies before you, and that was why you lost this duel." Jilen spoke out above him before disregarding his presence, "Gasp, now with that out of the way, I must make haste and return to the cabin. I've got to warn Ryuga and ikuchi about what enigma is planning before it's too late!" As he finished he headed off down the path into the night towards the secret entrance he took, as a team of guards could be heard in the opposite direction heading towards the site of their duel. He quickly made haste through the streets as the sounds of people began to collect and converge at that very spot of the duel. Without a backward glance he found the secret entrance at the back of the town and took off into the woods. However, little did he know was that he left a set of tracks from the secret passage, along with the entrance completely unsealed….


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

As the morning sun rose over the hill in the forest, its light began to envelop the landscape until reaching the cabin where it then shone through the windows and onto my face, as my bed was closest to the window.

"Urgh…someone please turn off the sun…" I groaned in annoyance before finally opening my eyes, "Well…at least some things are the still the same as in back home." I muttered to myself crankily. Seeing it as morning, I then yawned and rubbed my eyes before turning around to see Ikuchi still sleeping. I thought it'd best not to make too much noise so she could rest more. I then sat on the bed and began to reflect back on the events of last night, before shaking it off along with my head. "No, I can't linger on on what's been done, today's a new day and for now I need to focus on what happens now." I thought to myself as I headed over to the fire place. I noticed that very little firewood was left inside it and that the cauldron with water was nearly empty itself, "Well it's not as if I have anything better to do…." I thought to myself as I took the cauldron outside and treading carefully so I wouldn't wake the sleeping princess.

I began to fill it with water and left it back at the door, before heading off into the forest to find some wood for the fire. It wasn't easy finding suitable fuel wood to use, since I had to stay close to the cabin, as the forest was till quite dark and large so I didn't want to get lost. After a while, I then found enough acceptable sized pieces of wood which filled up both my arms amongst the forest floor or being broken off smaller trees. As I headed back and saw it in sight, the door suddenly opened, and I saw a frantic looking Ikuchi as she looked around all sides of the outside in a paranoid manner, as if she lost something really important.

As I hurried along and into sight she then saw me and ran up to where I was, "Oh! Good morning Ryuga, fetching water and wood I presume?" she asked putting on a relieved smiled.

"Huh? Oh right yes." I replied looking back down at the wood in my hands, "I can't let us get too cold now can we?" The weather really was cooling right now, but at night it did get pretty cold so it was important to stay warm. "I didn't expect you to be up so soon." I said.

"Well, I did just wake up and wanted to go back to sleep, but then when I saw you weren't there I got really nervous and thought you may have run off somewhere." she said unhappily, "In fact, I think it's real rude to just run off on a young lady like myself and leave her to her lonesome. Hmph!" she said while puffing her cheeks at me.

I then sweat dropped, "Hehe sorry, maybe next time I should leave a note behind huh." I chuckled nervously. She then laughed in amusement and then I couldn't help but follow after that. We were so caught up in the moment we failed to notice we were being watched and approached by a couple of shady figures in the nearby forest.

"Having a friendly chat?"

"Mind if we let ourselves in?" A pair of voices said which made us both turn around. Walking out into the clearing of the forest were a pair of young males both in similar but different dark tattered clothing, brown boots and worn out trousers. One had a green coconut cut hairstyle with a sneaky grin on his face, and some yellow glasses. The other was slightly taller and wore a reddish beanie hat, he also had long shaggy brown hair which fell below his shoulders and dyed purple strands hung out at his forehead.

They indeed looked like suspicious characters so I wasn't about to drop my guard just yet, though Ikuchi on the other hand didn't have as much sense of preservation as me. "Oh? Hello there." she said welcoming them with a friendly smile, "Is there anything we can we help you both with?"

The green haired boy grinned eagerly with a smile I didn't like one bit, "Oh I believe there is something we could use your help with."

"Yeah! And that's the 2 of you!" The boy with long brown hair added pointing to us, which came as a bit of a shock! Feeling we may be in danger, I then dropped the wood I was carrying on the ground and slipped on my duel disk for safe insurance.

Despite that, Ikuchi still didn't feel that sense of danger just yet (Due to being overly sheltered I supposed in the castle) and tried to remain more on the positive side of things, "Umm excuse me?" she replied puzzled by their request, "What exactly do you mean by that?"

"Hehe! You hear that Zaki? They don't know." The green haired boy chuckled as he turned to his partner.

"Guess I'll just have to give them the message, won't I Haga?" Zaki responded as he pulled a large folded sheet of paper out from his back pocket and unrolled it before us, "Take a good look you two."

Ikuchi took a step back in alarm while I narrowed my eyes, "Th…that's a wanted poster!" she gasped in sight of the brown sheet with the wanted heading.

"With us on it too." I added seriously, noticing our faces printed on the front, and a staggering reward of 150000 gold pieces at the bottom fine print! "This is all Enigma's work isn't it?"

"Hee hee! You catch on pretty quick!" Haga snickered in amusement, "Guess that saves us a lot of time for explaining things."

"Tch! You guys are bounty hunters aren't you?" I grunted. No doubt they must have noticed the smoke from our cabin's chimney and followed it here! I then realised that we may have been in a way bigger mess than we initially thought.

"Hehehe! You're pretty sharp, except for one thing, we won't be simply bounty hunters for long! Once we capture the both of you, we'll be elected as warlords and shall rule the world as Enigmas right hands after becomes the next king!" Zaki boasted arrogantly.

"Pipe down Zaki! You're saying way too much…." Haga hissed in annoyance, though his partner paid him no heed.

"Your fugitive act dragged us all the way out here in the middle of nowhere!" the brown haired boy then grinned menacingly like a beast on the hunt, "Now I can barely contain myself, and I'm itching for some action and a really good fight!" He and Haga then took out a diadhank from their pockets each which they then clamped to their arms.

"Too bad that won't be happening!" I yelled angrily, "You're not getting anything you hear me! Especially not us! At least not without a fight!" I then turned around to Ikuchi who seemed paralysed by fear, I couldn't blame her since this was all Enigma's plan to hire bounty hunters to capture us, "Ikuchi quick! Get inside now!" I shouted, "I'll handle both these guys! Go!"

She then jumped in surprise, "Huh!? R..right!" she nodded in response as she hurried to the door without question and locking it quickly behind her! She soon then headed to a nearby window and looked through it from behind the curtains to observe the battle.

"Oh? Trying to play the hero are you? The good that'll do you! Because in the end you'll both be coming back with us so we can claim the bounty! Hee hee hee!" Haga chuckled while rubbing his nose snobbishly.

I then gritted my teeth in frustration at the high stakes of this duel, which meant I had to be at my very best even thought it's first thing in the morning. "You guys ready for this?" I asked hopefully while looking at my duel disk, however, only Bahamut responded from it.

"I am ready to fight Ryuga, though regretfully I also have bad news." he said feeling rather concerned, "I'm afraid that Tiamat and Jormangandr are still tending to Fafnir's injuries from last night. So for now we will have to fight without them."

"I'm fine with that Bahamut. I'm sure you're all I need to put a pair of clowns in their place." I replied confidently with a smirk, thinking of them to be simple goons like the thugs we faced on day 1 here.

Both of them then scowled and hissed in annoyance at my words, "Tch! We'll see who the clowns are soon enough!"

"Yeah! Underestimate us and it'll be the last mistake you'll ever make!" Zaki added as he and his partner activated their diadhanks, which I then realised may have been given to them by that rat Enigma!

 **Field Spell, Crossover!**

As I activated my duel disk, the field became enveloped in a bright blue space and the platforms materialised in open air, along with the action card dispersing across the field.

"So this is what that old coot Enigma warned us about." Haga stated as he observed the entire scene interestedly.

Zaki then grinned, "Hehe, it's no big deal. With 2 against one, it'll be as easy as taking candy from a baby!" he chuckled.

I narrowed my eyes in anger, "I'll prove that it'll take more than you 2 punks to get the better of me! No one touches Ikuchi on my watch!" I yelled in response as I prepared to fight!

Upon hearing me utter those words, Ikuchi felt her heart moved by my bravery and courageous statement in the face of danger, and what I was willing to do to protect her, "You can do it Ryuga, I believe in you."

DUEL!

 **Ryuga: 4000**

 **Haga: 4000**

 **Zaki: 4000**

"I'll start!" I declared taking 2 cards from my hand, "I use scale 1 Magician dragon and scale 9 Gator dragon to set the pendulum scale!" Both my 2 dragons rose as pillars of light after I laid them across my duel disk, "Now I can summon monsters from levels 2-8 simultaneously! Mighty power filled with limitless potential, carve the path of hope that shall lead to victory! I pendulum summon! Come forth my loyal monsters!" 2 lights shot out from the generated portal, Appear! Spear dragon and Dynamite dragon!" My blue kingfisher dragon and bipedal winged dragon with bomb shaped patterns appeared before me.

"So this is the infamous pendulum summon everyone's been making such a huge deal about?"

"Heh, I'm not impressed…."

"You guys will change your minds soon enough," I grunted seriously, "But for now I'll end my turn at that."

"About time! Now we can start ending you!" Zaki laughed eager to get the duel over with so he and his friend could claim the rewards promised by Enigma.

"I shall go next! Draw!" Haga announced as a new card slate appeared before him causing him to snicker, "I'll activate a spell known as card of spell containment! This lets me draw 2 extra card slates but as a small price to pay I'm not allowed to activate or even set other spell and trap cards this turn." he said as it vanished and 2 new slates appeared in its place.

"That would put him at a slight disadvantage. Why would he do something like that?" Ikuchi thought to herself observing the match from inside the cabin while I narrowed my eyes firmly.

Haga then looked to a different card slate, "Now I place 1 monster in defence mode, and that's all from me." he concluded as a monster card flipped down.

"Guess it's my turn then," Zaki smirked, "I draw!" A new slate appeared on his side, "Hehehe! This duel will soon be over before it even starts! First I activate Akashic record!" The spell flipped forward depicting a dinosaur skeleton on it, "This spell allows me to draw 2 cards and reveal them to you, but should either of them have been played this duel they're removed from play." he smirked.

"And since this duel just began it basically doesn't apply…." I noted.

"Exactly!" he replied while his partner snickered deviously.

"Hey hee hee! Looks like even a dinosaur can surprise you now and then." Haga replied while Zaki scoffed annoyed.

"Tch! Anyways, I draw!" 2 new slates appeared and revealed themselves as fossil dig and soul eating oviraptor, "Not bad, think I'll put them to use right away! First I activate fossil dig! This lets me take a level 6 or lower dinosaur and add it straight to my hand!" The spell vanished and a new card erupted from the ground, "And I choose miscellaneousaurus! Next I summon soul eating oviraptor in attack mode!" A zombie like oviraptor with spectral flames appeared and it let out an unnerving shriek which put me on the edge and made Ikuchi freeze in fear as she watched from behind. "Now that this bad boy is out on the field I can activate his ability! Now I can take any dino that's level 4 or below and either add it to my hand or send it to my graveyard!" A card slate erupted from the ground and revealed a black t-rex like dinosaur with vicious claws and a set of stegosaur spines at the end of its tail, "And guess what I'm adding the level 4 **King Rex** straight to my hand!"

 **King Rex, Level 4, Dinosaur, EARTH ATK: 1200 DEF: 700**

"Man these guys are serious…I can't afford to get careless here, Ikuchi's safety depends on me winning this duel." I sweated realising these guys weren't ordinary bounty hunters.

"Now due to King rex's ability, if I control another dinosaur type monster, I can special summon this big guy from my hand in attack mode!" The card flipped up and the medium sized tyrannosaur appeared on the field with a loud growl! "Now I place one card facedown." A card flipped facedown. "With that I think that's more than enough for me, and since King Rex was summoned I can draw cards equal to the number of dinosaurs I control during the end phase!" he snickered, "Oh look we're already there! Now I draw 2 new cards!" 2 new slates appeared. After that I then noticed quite an unexpected conversation from the 2 of them-

"Hey don't go easy on him!" Haga yelled annoyed, "What are you thinking!? Giving him a chance to fight back!? Just how dim-witted can you be!?"

"Relax! It's not as if we'll actually lose this duel!" Zaki snickered in response, "Besides, we won't be able to brag about winning if we did it so easily and quickly, let's have a little fun while we're at it!"

The green haired boy smirked, "Hey hee hee! You've got a good point there! But if we don't win, it'll all be on you and I had nothing to do with it!"

"Tch! Fine whatever!" he growled, "Just don't get in my way you big mouthed bug!"

"The same goes for you, you dino dimwit!" Haga retorted.

I sweat dropped noticing their bickering and arrogance and decided maybe there may be hope in this duel for me yet, also that arrogant attitude of theirs would be their own undoing, "If you guys are done talking I believe it's my turn now." I called out interrupting them.

"Hmph! Fine go ahead, no one's stopping you." Haga replied uncaringly.

"In that case I draw!" I drew my card and smiled, "Alright you clowns, by the end of this turn there'll be just one of you standing!"

They then took a step back nervously, "O…Oh yeah!? And how do you plan on delivering that!?"

"With this!" I answered, "I pendulum summon!" A single light shot out, "Appear! The embodiment of my resolve! Bahamut! Sacred dragon of Hope!" I announced as my partner took a stand and roared, which caused both Haga and Zaki to stumble back in shock, "You ready for this?" I asked facing him.

He nodded, "Anything to ensure the safety of the princess." he replied before turning to them with a growl.

"3000 attack points…This…can't be good for either of us…." Haga quivered while Zaki remained speechless out of fear.

I then proceeded with my battle phase turning to my first target, "Spear dragon! Attack Haga's facedown monster with cyclone blast!" My dragon flew up high before blowing a stream of wind from his long beak upon the facedown monster.

"Fine, go ahead and attack! My monster is in defence mode so my life points are well-protected!" Haga mocked arrogantly.

"That's where you're dead wrong!" I retorted as the winds then pierced straight through the stone card, "When spear dragon attacks a monster in defence mode, it inflicts piercing battle damage!" A whip of wind which smacked right in the face of the insect duelist as the monster tablet began to crack and explode!

 **Haga: 4000-2800**

"Grrgh!" Haga grunted annoyed as he covered his face with his arm before sneering at me, "Fine! At least now my magical merchant's special ability activates!" The facedown monster revealed itself as a beetle carrying are bags before exploding into sparkles, "When it's flipped face up, I can pick up as many card slates as I want until I come across a magic or trap card! Now let's see what's in store for you." Around 3 card slates ejected from the ground before Haga until eventually a spell was found, which made him smirk deviously "Excellent! The spell I just acquired was Javelin Beetle Pact!"

"A ritual spell!" Ikuchi gasped.

"That sounds like trouble…" I replied as I narrowed my eyes at the card he acquired.

"Hey hee hee! Oh you have no idea." Haga giggled, "Now the other meaningless cards I picked up now go to the graveyard." They were revealed to be Crossword beetle, Beetron and Bombardment beetle.

"It's still my turn, and I'll make sure you won't get the chance to use that ritual spell!" I called out, "Right now, spear dragon's special ability now activates, since it attacked it automatically goes into defence mode." I stated as my dragon curled up its wings, "But that won't matter because Bahamut's about to wage a direct attack on you right here and now! Supreme Sacred Strike!"

Bahamut nodded at my command, "It will be my pleasure!" he roared before taking to the air and changing a beam in his jaws and then firing it!

"Oh no! I'm done for!" Haga squealed frantically as the beam approached its mark "EEEEEKKKK!"

"That's what you think!" Zaki suddenly interrupted, "I activate the trap amber pitfall!" His facedown flipped up and shot out a stream of golden amber which caught Bahamut midair and encased him completely!

"AAAAARRRGGGHH!" Bahamut roared before he fell to the ground completely fossilised in amber!

"Bahamut!" I gasped in shock before turning to my attackers. "What did you do!?"

"Simple! You triggered this trap when you attacked! Now your monster is forced into defence mode! Which means no more attacks from your all powerful dragon, who isn't so powerful now trapped in simple stone! Hahahaha!" he laughed.

"Why you…." I then clenched my fist while Ikuchi looked on worried.

"Hehe! Did you forget? You're fighting the 2 of us remember? Counting one of us out was a huge mistake!" Zaki taunted.

"Hey!" Haga suddenly yelled, "You should've done that sooner! Otherwise he wouldn't have had a chance to weaken my life points!"

Zaki then scowled and hardened his face, "So that's the thanks I get off helping you out!? Fine then next time you fight your own battles!" he yelled back, "And you don't tell me what to do! It's my card and I do with it as I please!"

I then looked to Bahamut who was encased in the amber but still alright. He then turned his eye to me and motioned with it to seize the opportunity while I had it, "In that case, dynamite dragon attacks King rex! Go fire bomb!" I shouted out taking advantage of their distracted attentions.

"Huh!?" Zaki gasped as my dragon shot a fire bomb and incinerated his dinosaur! The resulting explosion sent cinders flying at his face!

 **Zaki: 4000-3700**

"Grrr! That's it! Now I'm really steamed!" Zaki growled before reluctantly turning to his 'partner' on the other side, "Look Haga, I don't like you and you don't like me, but if we want that reward we'll have to work together! So for now let's put aside our own differences and finish this duel."

Haga then scoffed, "Hmph! Fine, but when we win we'll split the reward 60-40."

"50-50, I saved your butt just now."

"Tch! Fine….Deal.…" they reluctantly agreed.

I then realised that things were going to be very different this time between them and me so I braced myself, "So much for taking advantage of them fighting each other, I place one card facedown and end my turn."

"Be careful Ryuga…." Ikuchi thought as she clutched her hands together against her chest.

"Alright then, where were we? Ah yes, it's my turn now! Draw!" Haga declared as he gained a new card slate before another disgusting smirk appeared on his face, "Hee hee hee! You're in for it now! Since I control no monsters I can special summon the mighty **King Beetle** straight from my hand in defence mode!" A very large golden rhinoceros beetle (About the size of a rhinoceros) appeared form the card slate that flipped forward.

 **King Beetle, Level 5, Insect, EARTH ATK: 1400 DEF: 1000**

"And thanks to this terrible titan of the insect world, once per turn I'm allowed to either add an insect monster from my deck to my hand or special an insect whose level is 4 or less! So now I'll use his effect to call upon one of his fellow insects from my deck into my hand!" The large beetle opened its wing cases and started to shake its wings creating a vibrant call which made a new slate erupt from the ground, "And I choose my trusty pinch hopper!" Haga declared, "But I'm not done! I also activate the spell card known as Phantom scales! This spell allows me to special summon an insect type monster from my deck with the same name as one already on the field! So now I call forth another king beetle!" A second giant beetle appeared on the field in defence mode! "Now I activate this beetle's effect! Which allows me to call forth the pinch hopper I just added to my hand!" As the first one, the second beetle let out a call from its beating wings which summoned the green grasshopper monster from Haga's hand!

"That's quite the combination." I noted.

"You haven't see anything yet!" Haga chuckled deviously while pushing up his yellow glasses, "Now I activate the spell card Multiplication of ants! By tributing an insect monster on my field I can special summon 2 army ant tokens in it's place! Say goodbye to my pinch hopper!" The grasshopper exploded before its particles recollected in the form os 2 green ants, "Now the ability of my pinch hopper activates! When sent to the graveyard I can summon any insect monster from my hand in its place! Say hello to one of the most powerful tyrants of the insect kingdom! The all mighty and terrifying Brain Crusher! HAHAHAHAHA!" The card slate flipped forward and from it crawled out a horrendous demonic wasp which let out a terrifying shriek as it spread its wings and hissed violently. As it bared its large jaws and fangs at me, corrosive venom and alive began to drip from its open mouth to Ikuchi's complete disgust and horror.

"For a bug that thing's huge…..And very disgusting…" I sweated nervously seeing the vicious looking wasp snarl and drool at me and my monsters!

"Now for the main event! Which couldn't have been made possible without you!" Haga continued pointing at me.

"M..Me?" I asked dumbfounded.

"Why yes." he replied, "Without you attacking my magical merchant earlier, I wouldn't be able to acquire this! Go Javelin Beetle Pact!" The ritual spell he added to his hand a turn ago appeared which conjured up a tall green javelin with a spear point depicted in its artwork.

"That ritual spell!" Ikuchi gasped.

"Tch! He's already playing it when his field already has an entire lineup of tributes? Not good at all." I sweated while clicking my tongue.

"It is for me! Hee hee hee!" Haga giggled, "Now I tribute both my level 4 Army ant tokens in order to ritual summon my level 8 Javelin Beetle!" Both green ant monsters were absorbed into the javelin before the armoured humanoid beetle erupted from the ground and took hold of it!

"Hehehe! I've gotta admit, that's pretty awesome Haga." Zaki commented with a thumbs up.

"Why thank you Zaki. Your praise is most appreciated!" Haga replied before turning to me, "To show my appreciation for having me to go all out, I'll start by destroying you! Javelin beetle! Attack his dynamite dragon with mandible Javelin!" The powerful insect ritual hissed before throwing its spear at such high speeds that it struck through my dragon before I had a chance to run for an action card!

 **Ryuga: 4000-3150**

"Urgh!" I grunted, "When dynamite dragon is destroyed by battle, the monster responsible for doing so loses 300 attack points!" I called out as dynamite dragon who was still pierced by the lance then latched on to it before exploding at point blank range in the beetle's face! It then emerged from the smoke lightly scarred.

 **2450-2150**

"How dare you do that to my precious monster!?" Haga yelled, "For harming one of my insects, you must be punished! For that, my brain crusher shall obliterate your spear dragon next!" His wasp then roared as it flared its wings and shot a barrage of poison stingers as I could only look on and see it cry in pain before exploding!

"Hahaha! Revenge certainly is sweet isn't it!?" Haga mocked as I clenched my fist in anger at his sadistic attitude towards my monsters, "But don't worry, at least I'm generous enough to leave you with one monster on your field, not that he can do anything to help you hee hee hee!" he laughed referring to Bahamut who growled furiously while still encased.

Ikuchi could feel the same feelings of anger building up inside her, "I can't just sit by and let this continue before my eyes! I have to do something…but what?" she then fell to her knees in confusion, "What do I do? If I enter the duel now will it make a difference? I may just put Ryuga in even more danger and then what? Argh! Why do I feel so useless! I hate this!" she screamed as she grasped her head in exasperation.

Her moment of pain and torture hadn't gone unnoticed, I turned back looking at her and felt even more worried for her sake considering everything on the line. My opponents then followed to where I looked and then smirked, "It appears the princess is losing her mind." Haga thought to himself noticing her form the window, "This is going splendidly! Now to put on a little more pressure on both her and Ryuga, and then when we win she'll be too distraught to resist!"

I then refocused my attention back towards them both angrily, while Haga then turned to another card he had, "I place a facedown card on my field and now that it has reached the end phase, my brain crusher now takes control of the monster it just destroyed in battle! So now your precious spear dragon belongs to me now!" Spear dragon erupted from a portal in the ground on Haga's side of the field, as if it was being mind-controlled! (Since brain crusher is a parasitic wasp_

"My dragon!" I gasped, "How dare you turn my friend against me!" I yelled.

"Hee hee hee! I told you, mess with an insect and you'll pay the consequences! In this case, your precious monster! You have no one to blame other than yourself!" he laughed pointing out at me, "Zaki! It's your turn now! This time be sure not to pull back any punches!" He then called out to his partner.

"Hehe! You can be sure about that! Play time is over! Now it's time to cash in on the reward!" Zaki declared as he drew a new card slate and grinning, "This is going to be really fun! First I activate Painful choice! Now I pick 5 cards and you choose one of them. It goes to my hand and the others to the graveyard!" 5 card slates erupted of the ground and appeared before me in midair, "Well hot shot, what're you waiting for? Take your pick!"

Despite being in stone tablet form I was able to make out what the cards were-Giant rex, Frostosaurus, Saurobeast Brachion, Archeornis and Petiteranodon. After looking over my options carefully I took a gamble with the weakest of the 5 monsters, "I choose Petiteranodon!" I announced as the card appeared in his hand and the others vanished.

"Alright then, guess I'll just have to make use of the card you left me. By summoning it here and now!" A small egg appeared before it hatched into the pterosaur it depicted in its card, "Now my oviraptor's special ability activates! Once per turn I can destroy another level 4 or lower dinosaur type monster on my field! So I think I'll get rid of my Petiteranodon!" Oviraptor then leapt towards the helpless baby pterosaur and snarled menacingly, causing the pterosaur to squeak in fear and curl back inside its shell. The oviraptor then picked up the entire egg and chomped down on it into pieces!

My eyes widened at the sight I just witnessed, "How could you do that to your own monster!?" Bahamut and Ikuchi shared similar expressions of bewilderment, wondering how could someone be so cruel to their own monsters like that.

Hahaha! You actually think I'd give a care in the world for that little runt!?" Zaki laughed, "It's survival of the fittest! Also, by doing that my oviraptor allows me to revive any dinosaur type monster in my graveyard in defence mode! So I'm calling back my saurobeast Brachion!" The oviraptor opened a spectral portal and the massive sauropod emerged form it crouched down with 3000 defence points! "But there's more! Since Petiteranodon was destroyed by an effect I can special summon a level 4 or higher dinosaur from my deck, under the condition it can't attack this turn! And I choose my Super Ancient Dinobeast!" A portal opened and a powerful dragon like dinosaur appeared on the field with 2700 attack points and a loud roar!

"So this was his plan…." I realised now being stared down by the powerful dinosaurs pitted against me and the swarm insects on Haga's field.

"Hehehe! It's too early to be impressed! Now I play the spell Double evolution Pill! By banishing 2 monsters from my hand or graveyard, one dinosaur and one non-dinosaur type monster, I can special summon a level 7 or higher dinosaur form my deck or hand ignoring the summoning conditions!" Zaki called out as he removed from play Archeornis and Petiteranodon from his graveyard, "Say hello to the tyrant king of the cretaceous! My almighty **Mattrex**!" Appearing in the field was a large silver tyrannosaurus like monster encased in full metal armour. Its arms had 4 fingers edged with dagger like claws and as it stood up tall it roared ferociously at its next victim, me.

 **Mattrex, Level 7, Dinosaur, EARTH ATK: 2500 DEF: 1900**

"Oh boy…." I breathed at the sight of the vicious monster, Bahamut on the other hand cursed that he couldn't protect me although he was in defence mode and had a strong enough defence points to hold it off.

"I said to Haga that I wouldn't hold back and I'm going to prove it!" Zaki announced as he played another spell, "I activate Dino blast! Now I can choose any dinosaur I want and have it deal some damage to you equal to it level x300! So now that I choose my level 7 Mattrex you'll take 2100 points of damage!" The spell charged MAttrex with power before it fired a red energy beam straight towards me! Too fast for me to grab an action card….

"Watch it Ryuga!" Ikuchi called out worried.

I then reacted quickly, "I'm not going down that easily! I activate the trap Prevent and draw!" I declared as the trap flipped up, "Now the damage from your card effect gets cut in half and I get to draw a card!"

BOOM!

 **Ryuga: 3150-2100**

"Aaaaaargh!" I cried as the beam shrunk to half its size and blew me back into the trunk of a large tree! "Ack! Urgh…."

I then fell to the ground heavily injured as Ikuchi cried out from inside the cabin, "Ryuga no!"

"I..I'm fine Ikuchi!" I cried out defiantly as I fought my pain to get to my legs, before panting heavily from exhaustion, "Now I…draw." I then drew my card painfully as I could feel every muscle and bone in my body was screaming in agony!

"Hehe! You're pretty tough being able to take that blast like that head on!" said Zaki.

"Too bad you won't get a chance to use that new card you drew." Haga added before turning to his partner, "Okay Zaki, no more fooling around! Finish him off now so we can collect our loot and cash in!"

"Yeah yeah I was just going to do that. Now stop ordering me around or I'll twist your antennae all up in a knot!" Zaki replied as he turned to me, "Don't think for a second your shell of a dragon will protect you, because thanks to my Mattrex's special ability, if all you got are monsters in defence mode, by tributing a monster on my field my Matrix can go straight for your life points directly!"

"D…Directly!?" I gasped looking up.

"Ryuga's life points are only 2100 and that beast has 2500…if this connects then…Oh no…" Ikuchi realised. Tears began to well up in her eyes, until she narrowed them with a fierce gaze. She then ran to the back of the cabin and then rummaged through the drawers for the only thing that could help in this situation. "Circumstances are now such that I can no longer stand idly by and spectate while others fight for me, now….that time has passed!" she thought to herself as she found what she was looking for.

"This is the end for you! I tribute Soul eating Oviraptor on my field so that Mattrex can go ahead and swallow you whole! Hahahahaha!" Zaki laughed as his tyrannosaur turned to its fellow dinosaur and snapped it up with ease!

"He just sacrificed his own monster like that….after what it did for him." I thought to myself disgusted.

"Hope you enjoyed your appetiser, because that punk there is the main course! Go my jurassic giant! Finish this now!" Zaki commanded as Mattrex roared ferociously before charging straight at me and roaring at the top of its lungs past Bahamut!

"RYUGA!" Bahamut cried out in horror from inside the amber as the tyrannosaur opened its jaws wide ready to snap shut!

"Argh! Too weak…to get action card…" I grunted as my body refused to move as I wanted to, I found myself slumping down to the base of the tree as the giant dinosaur closed in!

"Hey hee hee! This is it!" They eagerly awaited as Mattrex opens its jaws wide and revealed a mouthful of razor sharp teeth.

At that moment I then closed my eyes in defeat, not wanting to look anymore, "I'm sorry Ikuchi, and everyone….At least, I won't be going out in vain…" I breathed as I awaited the finishing blow…..

"I activate the action spell Battle lock!" A voice suddenly spoke out, and after that a set of iron chains shot out of the ground and ensnared the incoming tyrannosaur's jaws shut!

"Huh!?" We were all completely caught by surprise at the turn of events. Mattrex then growled angrily as it flawed around angrily, smashing its head against the ground or trees trying to get them off but to no avail!

"H…Hey! Why is my dino all bound and chained! He can't attack like that!" Zaki cried.

"That's the point. Thanks to that action spell none of your monsters can wage anymore attacks for the rest of this battle phase." We turned to the direction go the voice and it was none other than Ikuchi herself! Apparently she charged out of the house door and seized the action card nearest to her immediately after she activated her diadhank! Now sporting a more serious and determined expression, she meant business now!

"I…Ikuchi!?" I couldn't believe the one I tried to protect ended up saving my own life….

"Incredible…Your actions to protect her, moved her heart so much she was willing to risk it all to save you…." Bahamut thought from inside also feeling proud to see the growth in her.

"Huh!? The princess in a duel!?" Zaki and Haga gasped in shock clearly not expecting her to intervene, she was not quite the helpless crybaby they initially took her for.

 **Intrusion Penalty! 2000 Life points!**

 **Ikuchi: 4000-2000**

"Urgh…This is nothing." she grunted as sparks stuck out from her diadhank and through her body, before shaking it off and walking to my side, "Are you alright Ryuga?"

"I…I'll live…" i replied weakly, "You….you saved me? I…I don't know what to say…" I found it quite embarrassing since this was the first time I needed saving from a near-loss situation. But, I'm not complaining, since she was the one who did it.

"It's what you would've done for me. Consider this my way of thanking you properly." she replied with a smile, "You've done your part and everything you could to protect me. That I am truly grateful for. But now, allow me to take it from here. I promise your sacrifice won't be in vain." she then turned to face

"Ahahahaha! Who would've thought the princess herself would show up and duel!"

"This'll make things a heck of a lot easier for us! 2 birds with a single stone! Hehehe!"

"N..no….Ikuchi don't." I groaned before she stopped me with a hand.

"At ease Ryuga." she replied, "It will be alright I promise as princess of Norvagen." She then glared furiously at our attackers with eyes almost as cold as icicles, "Be prepared you two, because I will be your next opponent!"

"Ooooh we're so scared! What are you going to do daddy's little girl? Run home and tell him to write us off with a mild disapproval? Hahahahaha!" Haga laughed amused at what he just heard from her. Hearing that however our Ikuchi more off the edge considering what recently happened to her beloved father.

"This should make things way more interesting, and once we collect the bounty from you guys we'll be bathing in riches for years!" Zaki cackled before resuming his turn, "Now to continue with my turn, I'll play a ritual spell of my own called **Ultimate Evolution**!" The spell depicted a massive primeval world with a massive volcano erupting in the center of it all, releasing heavy ash plumes and lava spouts and the dark prehistoric sky rained meteors upon the land! In the background were the silhouettes of a lizard and a bird, with a tyrannosaurus (Like that of New ultra evolution and ultra evolution pill) at the volcano base, and a pair of ferocious reptilian eyes peered out from within the ash clouds of the volcano. "I sacrifice Mattrex who's power will now pave the way for an even more superior species of dinosaur!" The tyrannosaurus monster roared loudly as suddenly it exploded into sparkles, which generated a massive crack in the earth and a large flaming volcano shot out through it to our shock. "Tyrant king of the primordial past, with powerful ancestry flowing through your veins, overcome extinction and reign supreme at the pinnacle of evolutionary perfection! I ritual summon! Rise my ultimate apex predator! Level 7! **Blade rex**!" Shooting out from the ashes and smoke of the generated volcano was a large humanoid like tyrannosaur, with a pair of horns that stretched from its head almost like a V-shape. While coated in red battle armour (Similar to ultimate tyranno in body shape and armour) at the end of its large arms it sported a set of sharp axe like blades as well as a set of sharp blade like scales at the end of its tail! It was a dinosaur, fully armed to the teeth and very dangerous! "Hehehe! With my perfectly evolved dino of destruction this duel is all but decided! After all should my beast happen to destroy a monster in battle he can attack again, even inflicting piercing damage!" Zaki boosted proudly as his rex roared.

 **Blade rex, Level 7 Dinosaur, Ritual, FIRE ATK: 2900 DEF: 2000**

"This will be…a challenge…" Ikuchi thought to herself seriously at the competition presented before her while I observed worried for her safety.

Zaki then smirked, "You're lucky I can't attack anymore this turn, but when it comes around again you'll be on your knees quivering like a scared puppy in no time!" he stated before laying down 2 facedowns.

"Just one more turn and then we'll be bathing in riches as deep a bottomless trap hole! Hahahahahaha!" They both then laughed uncontrollably seeing there was no way they could possibly lose with such a perfect field. Haga had Parasite worm set, who would allow him to destroy any newly summoned monster and inflict half its attack points as damage to its owner. It was basically a landmine in wait. Zaki on the other hand had Jurassic Heart and Survival of the fittest ready to be sprung. The first would negate any trap targeting a dinosaur type monster and the other would allow boost any dinosaur by an extra 1000 attack points and allow it to attack a second time in a row. His side was equipped for immense power and was to settle the duel in one turn should he be given the chance. No words could describe their side to having almost no flaws.

Bahamut and I began to sweat hard noticing the immense odds stacked against us. Even I was starting to worry about whether we could get out of this one the way things were, but then Ikuchi spoke out something which caught me off guard. "The only one who will be quivering in fear is you."

"Huh? What did you say?" They asked looking at her surprised she wasn't scared like how they hoped and saw her as before.

"You heard me! The both of you will pay dearly for hurting my friend! This I swear as Princess of Norvagen, you shall suffer the might of the maelstrom and the howling blizzards of Ragnarok!" she swore valiantly as 5 card slates erupted from the ground before her. I was surprised, she showing such great courage and determination, something I clearly didn't notice. I then realised it her desire to defend those she treasured most dear had outweighed her doubts and worries about herself. She was really trying hard and because of that, she finally took her first step out of the sea of fear, to grow stronger and more confident to protect me.

"My draw!" she declared adding a new card slate to her arsenal and observing them all carefully, "Here goes, everything I've been training for….now to finally put it to the test!" She then raised her hand against one card slate, "For starters I'll ensure you don't try anything sneaky by activating the spell cold wave!" Her slate flipped forward and blew out cold winds that froze the opposing facedowns! "The cold wave freezes all spells and traps for one whole turn!"

"No way!"

"There goes our back up plan…" They grumbled, while I on the other hand smirked seeing she was playing smart for a change and not jumping in head on for an attack.

"No matter, she can't possibly touch us or our invincible array of monsters!" Haga called out mockingly.

Ikuchi narrowed her eyes seriously, "I'll take that bet, for I shall now summon the tuner monster, **Deep sea abyss snake**!" Erupting out of the card was a giant sea snake like monster with a set of long pink wing-like fins stretching out from its side and a set of smaller ones across its back right to the tail. As it raised its upper body and flashed its scaly yellow underside it then lowered its pointed head down and opened its jaws filled with sharp fangs while also displaying a pinkish marking on its forehead!

 **Deep Sea Abyss Snake, Level 3, Sea Serpent, Tuner, WATER ATK: 1700 DEF: 900**

"Wait, did she say a tuner monster!?" Haga gasped.

"Don't tell me…just like that guy she can-" Zaki followed.

"She's actually going to do it…." I realised the moment I saw her play that monster.

The snake began to curl around, generating a portal in the center of it, "When successfully summoned, Abyss snake allows me to special summon a water monster from my deck whose level is 3 or lower! And I choose my red eyes salamander!"Emerging from the portal was a bluish humanoid water lizard with orange hand and foot claws and webbed features on its head and body. It had a set of red spines across its back and a large red gemstone embedded in its forehead, along with its fearsome red eyes it was known for.

 **Red eyed salamander, Level 3, Aqua, WATER ATK: 1500 DEF: 600**

"Here it comes…exactly what we've practiced." I said to Bahamut weakly but smiling, who nodded in response while still trapped in amber.

"I activate my sea snake's special ability! By discarding a card from my hand I can perform a contact fusion summon with it and another monster on my field!" she announced, and as her 2 monsters started glowing, the extra deck box which she clipped to the side of her clothes began to glow! "So by discarding my maiden of the aqua, watch as I fuse both my abyss snake and salamander!" Both monsters rose into the air and fused as blue and green lights! "Serpent of the dark underwater chasm, amphibious beast who rules the poisonous swamps, merge both your mastery of water to draw forth the great ruler of the ocean! I fusion summon! Rise form the deep! Level 6! **Poseidon! The Majestic Marine dragon**!" A massive sapphire blue plesiosaur like monster appeared form the fusion light. It had a long stretched neck and its snout ended with what appeared to be a cannon (Like a metal seadramon's) and had a mix of green scales and pattern mixed with its bright blue colouring. Down to its long flippers, massive bulk and whip like tail!

 **Poseidon, The Majestic marine dragon, Level 5, Sea Serpent, Fusion, WATER ATK: 2000 DEF: 1500**

"She can do that!?" Haga gasped.

"I think we may be over our heads this time…." Zaki quivered.

"My turn's not through! When fusion summoned while a card in the field zone is present, (Crossover) Poseidon allows me to immediately revive the 2 monsters I used to fusion summon him! So rise once more my 2 water monsters!" She commanded as Poseidon generated a whirlpool before him which the 2 initial monsters shot out from! "Now I tune level 3 Deep Sea abyss snake to my level 3 red eyed salamander for a synchro summon!" The snake coiled around into multiple loops before changing into 3 rings for the salamander to leap through! "Serpent who sleeps in the depths of the sea, rise up to oppose all who disturb your tranquil slumber! I synchro summon! Appear! Level 6! S **urging serpent Yurlungur**!"Erupting from the synchro light came a pillar of water which then twisted into a serpentine shape before it exploded, revealing a massive sea serpent covered in scales as solid as stone. It's massive body was dark blue and had a number of stalagmite like spikes sticking out from its head to its main body, while also wearing rock like armour on its upper body and at the base of its tail which ended with a whale's fluke.

 **Surging serpent Yurlungur, Level 6, Aqua, Synchro, WATER ATK: 1900 DEF: 1000**

" !?" the 2 bounty hunters gasped in alarm.

"Now my red eyed salamander's special ability activates! When used in a synchro summon with a fish, sea serpent or aqua tuner monster, both it and the tuner monster are revived from the watery grave! So rise up to the surface once more!" Ikuchi commanded as both monsters shot out from the water and landed on the field again!

"N….not again!" They cried in utter astonishment.

"Here it comes…." I thought knowing where this was going.

"Last but not least, I build the overlay network with level 3 salamander and abyss snake!" Ikuchi declared as they both turned into blue lights and doe into the xyz portal, "Mermaid who rules the sea from the great empire of Atlantis, rise up and lead your army to defend your domain from those who defile the oceans most sacred! I xyz summon! Appear! Rank 3! **Aquarius! Empress of the Oceans**!"The monster that rose from the portal was an elegant mermaid with long wavy green hair like seaweed, while wearing a pink face mask with blue markings. Her upper body sported blue body armour, gauntlets and breast plating and she had a large green fish tail with sparkling scales like jewels signifying her beauty.

 **Aquarius, Empress of the Oceans, Rank 3, Fish, Xyz, WATER ATK: 1000 DEF: 2200**

"She did it Bahamut," I said proudly, "Fusion, synchro and xyz all in one turn….She's grown up." Bahamut smiled in agreement looking on at how far my pupil had finally come.

Haga and Zaki were completely taken aback by the impressive monsters standing before them before weakly retorting, "S…So!? Big deal! You may have acquired 3 monsters at once…but…"

"N..None of them are any good against our superior monsters!"

"Alone perhaps, but as Ryuga taught me once, it's uniting them that will bring victory! Something that I intend to do when I one day rule Norvagen!" Ikuchi declared, "Watch and maybe you'll learn something! As long as poseidon remains on the field all opposing monsters lose 300 attack and defence points for every Water monster I control! With 3 that means all your monsters lose 900 points each! Go Oceanic Wave!" Poseidon roared as he launched a sonic pulse from his nose cannon which disoriented all the opposing enemy monsters!

 **Javelin beetle-2150-1250**

 **King beetle 1-1000-100**

 **King beetle 2-1000-100**

 **Brain crusher- 2400-1500**

 **Spear dragon-1900-1000**

 **Saurobeast Brachion- 3000-2100**

 **Super ancient dinobeast- 2700-1800**

 **Blade rex- 2900-2000**

"No way!"

"She brought down our monsters with a single move!? Impossible!" They gasped in complete horror.

"That's just the beginning! You see Yurlungur possessed the ability to attack any and all monsters you have out! So prepare to suffer the wrath of the raging sea!" Ikuchi announced to their horror.

"All of them!?"

"Go Yurlungur! Attack with Titanic tsunami!" The great water serpent roared loudly as it spun sound in a circle and generated a huge incoming tidal wave towards Haga's entire arsenal of monsters! I then crawled a little bit to the back, glad that I wasn't on the receiving end of the tsunami, "And to ensure you're then care off here and now! I'll use Aquarius' special ability! By using an overlay unit, she can force any water monster on the field to change its battle mode!"

"Why waste your breath on such useless info!?" Haga yelled, "None of my monsters are water attribute!"

"Not quite! You see while Yurlungur is on the field all opposing monsters are treated as water attribute so that means I can force your king beetles into attack mode! Go Shocking Wave!" Aquarius then focused her energy into both her overlay units which she turned into orbs of water that she shot at the large beetles forcing them both to stand up in attack mode!

 **1400-500**

 **1400-500**

"Gah! This can't be! How could I possibly be defeated so easily by…by….a snivelling princess!?" Haga gasped as the waves washed him and his entire field clean! "AAAAAHHHHH!"

 **Haga: 2800-0**

"Haga NOOOOO!" Zaki cried as his partner emerged from the floodwaters out cold, "G….Get up! You can't leave me like this!" He yelled trying to wake him up and even smacking his face while he still lay down soaked and cold.

"Looks like you're duelling alone now Zaki!" Ikuchi called out catching his attention, "And I'm afraid things are going to get far worse for you! For you see, Yurlungur boosts the attack strength of all my water monsters by 300 points for each water monster in my graveyard! Now there's 2 meaning they all get 600 points!" Yurlungur gained a blue aura which it passed on to its fellow ocean monsters.

 **2000-2600**

 **1900-2500**

 **1000-1600**

"There's more! Each time Aquarius loses an overlay unit she gains 600 extra attack points!" The mask on Aquarius' face began to crack until it shattered revealing a beautiful female face underneath it, with blue eyes that sparked like cascading water and dark blue mascara on her eyelids.

 **1600-2800**

"W..Wait a minute can't we talk about this!? We're sorry so please let us go!" Zaki begged as fear began to flood his entire being and he even resorted to begging on his knees.

"It's far too late for apologies! And for what you've done you're not getting out of this unscathed! Now prepare to face the punishment your crimes rightfully deserve!" Ikuchi yelled back angrily, "Yurlungur! Once more call upon the power of the surging waves and send forth Titanic tidal wave!" Her serpent screeched aggressively as it delivered a second tidal wave which acted as the sea's judgement upon the defiling land dinosaurs and washed them away in an instant! They all growled in agony before drowning and exploding under the mighty waves!

 **Zaki: 3700-2500**

"Oh no! I'm all alone and there's nothing between my life points and those other 2 monsters!" Zaki frantically gasped as if he was undergoing both a seizure and a panic attack at once.

"Poseidon! Aquarius! End this duel now with River of Ultimate Power!" Ikuchi commanded as Aquarius fired a pulse of water from her hand and Poseidon fired a water stream from his nose cannon! Both then joined together into a massive water beam which took on the form of a huge dragon with opened its jaws wide ready to swallow the helpless Zaki!

"GAAAAAAHHHHH!" he cried as he was completely engulfed in the water and thrown straight against a large rock wall!

CRASH!

 **Zaki: 2500-0**

 **Ryuga and Ikuchi: WIN!**

As the field disappeared, the victorious princess then took a breath in relief while Bahamut and I looked on speechless at what we just witnessed firsthand, "Phew…we did it…" Ikuchi said feeling more relaxed now that the worst was over, at least for now. She then turned around to the tree where I lay and held out her hand, "Here let me help you up." Without hesitation I took it and stood, I was about to fall to my knees but luckily she gave me the support I needed to stay on my feet, "Hey! Are you alright!?" she gasped but I smiled back weakly in response.

"Heheh, I've been through much worse, no worries." I replied assuringly before being able to stand myself. We then heard the sound of groaning and then turned to see both Zaki and Haga waking up from the huge thrashing they received a moment ago. Had to admit, for a couple of thugs they really were tough…..

As soon as Haga stood up he then began to scream his own mind off while soaking wet, at his partner still lying on the ground completely drenched, "You idiot! This is your all fault isn't it!? How could such a pea-sized reptilian brain like yours produce such a large volume of idiocy!?" he yelled infuriatingly which caused Zaki to get riled up enough to stand.

"Be quiet you babbling bug! Your voice is beginning to give me a headache! I'll be sure to tell Enigma you're the one who let them escape and you'll take all the blame! Ha! How's that for being dim-witted!"

"You wouldn't dare! Get back here you backstabbing weasel!" As the 2 of them ran off into the woods away from us, we couldn't help but sweat drop at their embarrassing antics.

"Man they don't get along well do they…." I muttered.

"Nope they sure don't…" she replied in agreement.

Once they disappeared out of sight, I then smiled in relief as I turned towards the person responsible for saving ME this time, "Hey Ikuchi,

She then turned as soon as I called her name, "Thanks….for saving me." I said as I held out my hand to her, "I really owe you one this time."

She looked at it before pushing it gently away, "There's really no need to be so formal, in fact it's like how you said to me before, a friend in need is a friend indeed." she replied back with a warm smile, "I just couldn't let them hurt you could I? Also, like how you saved me a while back when we first met, consider this as me returning the favour." she replied humbly in response.

I was impressed by her humility and smiled back in response, "And you were really brave too, and you even managed to use all 3 special summoning methods flawlessly without a single mistake. I'm proud of you." I said complimenting her to which she blushed in response unable to say anything back. I then narrowed eye eye seriously while turning to the footprints in the ground left behind by both Zaki and Haga, "You know, I actually get the feeling these guys may not be the last." I said feeling concerned, "If they found us, no doubt there would be many more assassins, mercenaries or bounty hunters who'd want to to try for that reward Enigma's put up. Who knows? Maybe the next ones may be just as or maybe even stronger that what we faced today."

"Ryuga, you might actually be right….Who knows how many more greedy hearts that reward will be soon to draw in from all corners of Norva- no, the world…" she said in agreement feeling worried as well for our safety.

"That means until Jilen comes back, we'll have to be extra careful and make sure to look out for….." Suddenly, a wave of exhaustion swept over me without warning (As the impact and aftermath of the duel finally caught up to me), as my vision started blurring and I began to lose focus! "Urgh…Feeling dizzy….What's going…on…."

"R..Ryuga? Is something wrong?" Ikuchi asked feeling strange noticing my weird and ditzy movements. Her eyes then widened in shock as I then fell forwards onto the hard ground and began to lose consciousness, "Ryuga! RYUGA!" She cried in shock as I collapsed on the ground, and I could feel her words sounding more like vanishing echoes to my ears as I completely passed out from sheer and utter exhaustion.

 **And there's chapter 12, hope it was to your liking. Here I made sure to include a couple of new OC cards and as well as using a pair of certain characters from DM. Hope you enjoyed it. Stay tuned for what happens next!**

King Beetle

If you control no monsters, you can special summon this card from your hand. Once per turn, you can add one insect monster from your deck to your hand or special summon 1 level 4 or lower insect type monster from your hand.

King rex

If you control a dinosaur type monster, you can special summon this card from your hand in attack mode. When this card is special summoned this way, you can draw one card for each face-up dinosaur type monster you control during the end phase of your turn.

Mattrex

When your opponent only has a monster in defense position on the field, you can sacrifice a monster, if you do this card can attack your opponent directly.

Ultimate Evolution

This card can be used to ritual summon blade rex. You must tribute dinosaur, winged beast or reptile type monsters whose total levels equal 7 or more from your hand or field.

Blade rex

You can ritual summon this card with Ultimate evolution. When this card attacks a monster in defence mode, inflict piercing damage. When this card destroys a monster in battle you can activate one of these effects:-

-This card gains 500 ATK

-You can discard one card from your hand, this card can make a second attack this turn.

Deep Sea Abyss Snake

When this card is normal or special summoned, you can special summon 1 level 3 or lower Water monster from your deck or graveyard. Once per turn, you can discard one card from your hand, you can fusion summon using this card and monsters you control or in your hand.

Red eyed salamander

This card cannot be normal summoned or set. Once per duel, when you synchro summon using this card and a sea serpent, fish or aqua tuner monster, you can special summon this card and the tuner monster used for the synchro summon from your graveyard.

Surging serpent Yurlungur

1 water tuner + 1 or more non-tuner water monsters

Once per turn you can activate this effect, all monsters on your opponent's field become water attribute, this is also a quick effect. Water monsters you control gain 300 attack and defence points for every water monster in your graveyard. This card can attack all monsters your opponent controls once each.

Aquarius, Empress of the Oceans

2 level 3 water monsters

When a water monster battles, you can detach 1 xyz material from this card, if you do, change the battle mode of that monster. Each time this card loses xyz material, it gains 600 attack points. This card can attack your opponent directly, but if it activates this effect, the battle damage it inflicts to your opponent is halved.

Poseidon, The Majestic marine dragon

2 water monsters

When this card is fusion summoned using only materials on the field while there is a card in the field zone, you can special summon the monsters you used to fusion summon this card from your graveyard. Monsters your opponent controls gain lose 300 attack and defence points for each faceup water monster on the field. Once per turn, you can target one water monster in your graveyard, special summon it to your side of the field.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

It was late afternoon and after the intense duel that took place earlier this morning, I was now resting in bed, now in a deep sleep after succumbing to the immense fatigue I experienced then. Luckily for me, I had a very kind and concerned caretaker by my side who immediately came to my aid after collapsing, "Oh Ryuga….Please wake up soon….." she thought feeling worried as she wiped a damp piece of cloth over my face to make sure I was kept cool, before keeping close watch over me and the outside all on her own, knowing that bounty hunters could show up at anytime so she would have to be on her toes and ready for them. After a while she became quite bored at doing nothing and exhausted at playing the sentry for so long on her own, "Sigh….I hope Jilen gets back soon…All this maintaining watch by your lonesome really is more tiring than it seems…." she breathed to herself as she closed her eyes for a short nap before suddenly snapping back awake and shaking off her drowsiness. The temptation to sleep really was very enticing but she knew she had to stay awake for both our sakes….

Looking at me lying in bed sleeping silently for a while before turning away then looking back, she then began to sweat somewhat anxiously. "He's been sleeping for so long….What if he…wait! Maybe if I-" Looking around and feeling that no one was present, she then turned back to me attempted to do something she thought she would never do, "Just like in that sleeping beauty story mother used to read to me….M….Maybe just a little…" Walking up to where my face was, she then closed her eyes and began to lean in, but just when she was about to 'seal the deal' the door suddenly opened.

"My lady! I have returned!" A familiar voice bellowed.

"Eep!" Ikuchi squeaked in surprise before covering her mouth in time, worried she would wake me up, "Mmph!" Turning around she soon met Jilin's puzzled face, who was expecting her to be welcoming him with joy after his long night out, "Oh Jilen! It's you…." she breathed in relief while placing her hand to her chest. She almost felt like she got a heart attack after being surprised at such a suspenseful moment, which she then pouted slightly with a blush.

"Is….something wrong Lady Ikuchi?" he asked curiously.

"N…no…nothing at all…." she replied trying to force a smile on her face, on one hand she was disappointed he had to spoil her best and probably only chance…..on the other hand she felt a wave of relief come over her knowing her close ally was safe and well.

"I see…." he then replied feeling suspicious that she was hiding something, "Then what were you-" As he tried to lean to the side to see what she was keeping from him, his eyes then widened in shock at sight of what he saw in the bed, "My word! What happened to Lord Ryuga!?" he yelled.

Ikuchi then jumped up and waved her hands frantically, "Ssh!" she hissed trying to get him to be quiet so I wouldn't be disturbed.

"Oh! F…forgive me…." he replied lowering his head in response, "Perhaps we should take this outside." he suggested as he opened the door gently.

"That would be a better idea Jilen." Ikuchi whispered in agreement while looking over me feeling concerned, "We can discuss things between more clearly outside. Right now, Ryuga needs all the rest he can get." She soon joined Jilen outside the cabin where they both began exchanging information on both of their ends since separation last night. News from both sides came as an astounding shock to the other as they shared. From Jilen telling Ikuchi about how Enigma placed a bounty on their heads and what he planned to do after he has gotten her back, to Ikuchi telling Jilen the whole story about how she and Ryuga were attacked by a pair of bounty hunters earlier in the day, and that Ryuga was now unconscious as a result from trying to protect her from harm.

"I see…..To think such a disaster could take place in the short time span of my absence." Jilen muttered to himself angry at how both youths were heavily endangered and how one was critically injured in the process. He then fell to his knees and bowed, "My lady! Please forgive me for failing you! I demand that you punish me this instant!" he yelled suddenly.

Ikuchi then sweat dropped in embarrassment, "Jilen….While your loyalty and devotion is most….admirable. There's….really no need to be so overdramatic."

"Don't say that!" he yelled in response feeling insulted, "Your parents made me swore to protect you from any and all dangers, even at the cost of my own life! I leave you for merely a day and this happens! You could have been captured and your friend executed by now if I had returned too late! I sincerely demand that you do something to punish me for my incompetence!"

SMACK!

Ikuchi now turning red with impatience and frustration delivered a very fast but effective back hand to Jilin's face, catching him completely off guard! "Would you get a grip on yourself Jilen!?" she screamed in annoyance, "Don't you dare talk about the whole mess being your fault! If there's one thing I WON'T tolerate and would punish you for, it's your ridiculous self-centred pity!"

Jilen took a step back in surprise, "Wh…what?" he breathed in confusion, "Lady ikuchi….Why would you say that?"

She then lowered her head down and began to sob, "What happened wasn't your fault, there really was nothing you could have done. In fact you did the only logical move we could make at this time when we had no other choice." She then swallowed hard as she began to say what she really wanted, "I'm the one at fault, I should have been able to help fight my own battles but I was so scared….and yet Ryuga did everything he could to protect me from those bounty hunters. And it's….my fault that he's now lying in that bed all helpless this time. Which is why I have to protect him now, so you see the responsibility is all mine and not yours!" she sobbed as painful tears began to run down from her eyes and cheeks. In fact the very memory of seeing me get hurt very badly was still haunting her and she remembered every second of it to her sheer distraught and horror.

Jilen said nothing but then lowered his head in sadness, clearly he underestimated the emotional trauma his princess had suffered after seeing a friend, her first ever one to be precise, get before her own eyes. Which no doubt was added to the pain from the loss of her parents, "I…I understand my lady…." he responded sadly before deciding to stand up firmly for her sake. He then reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder as she looked up from herself, "You have been very brave indeed to have duelled a pair of experienced bounty hunters and win. To make up for my absence I too shall stay by your side and Lord Ryuga. This will be the least I can do to thank him after what he has done for you this whole time, even at the expense of his own sacrifices."

"Thank you Jilen, it not only pleases me to hear you say that, but also the fact you are back safely as well." She replied feeling better having gotten that out of her, after wiping away her sad tears.

Jilen was prepared to go back inside the cabin and tend to Ryuga when he overheard some rustling in the forest. He then turned to the direction of the noise and Ikuchi looked on anxiously.

J..Jilen? What are you-"

"Ssh!" he whispered back to her while returning his attention to a pair of large bushes in front of them. Narrowing his eyes he then shouted, "Whoever you are, don't bother hiding because I can sense you! Come out and face me like a true warrior!"

Responding to his call, the 2 figures who were hiding in the underbrush came out and revealed themselves, both figures smirking deviously at both Jilen and Ikuchi, who took a step back. Standing before them were an Akz the Pumer and an Indomitable fighter Leilei! Both of which were carrying diadhanks on their rights arms and a reward poster, "We were told there were only 2 targets, but apparently you have an accomplice working with you as well." Akz stated as he observed the poster once more before tossing it away uncaringly.

"Hehehe! That makes this hunt 3 times better and the reward all the more sweeter when we bring your hides back!" Leilei laughed.

Jilen narrowed his eyes at the 2 newcomers, "Akz and Leilei….The warrior beasts of the wild….I should have expected them to have taken up on the bounty as well…." he muttered in annoyance.

"You…know these 2?" Ikuchi asked curiously.

"Only by reputation," he replied, "Among hired mercenaries they're actually the most accomplished hunters and only serve the highest paying contracts in the Norvagen kingdom….These 2 aren't your average bounty hunters my lady."

"Correction," interrupted Akz, "We ARE the greatest hunters of all time!" he boasted arrogantly, "And when my partner Leilei and I defeat you here and now, we'll take back the princess and the fugitive Ryuga to Lord Enigma, and he shall reward us!"

Jilen then gritted his teeth in anger, with his lady and his honour as a royal servant at stake he quickly strapped on his duel disk, "My lady! Get inside now while I deal with these 2 swines!" He shouted to her telling her to quickly get to safety.

Ask first Ikuchi was about to listen and do as he said, but she stopped in her tracks at the last second as her earlier memory of the morning's events flashed once more through her mind and now it was repeating itself! She turned around, "Am I really going to let Jilen sacrifice himself for me like Ryuga did?" She then shook her head and narrowed her eyes, "No! Not this time! I won't let anyone go through that again because of me!" She thought to herself.

As Jilen took out his diadhank and clamped it on to his hand, he was surprised to see Ikuchi run back outside and stand next to him as she did the same! "Lady ikuchi! I thought I told you to run back and hide inside the cabin!"

"No Jilen, I'm duelling whether you like it or not!" She retorted.

"Wh…what did you say!?" he gasped.

She then closed her eyes, "For as long as I can remember, everything in my life has been done for me. I never once had to fight for anything in my life, and because of that I've always been a weak and scared child, letting others fight the battles that really should have been mine." Ikuchi then opened them firmly which were now brimming with confidence, "But not anymore, that was the old me. Now I will no longer stand back and let others fight my battles, nor suffer because of me. Thanks to Ryuga, I have learnt many things and after what he did to protect me, it's now my time to protect him!" She shouted before focusing hard at her bodyguard, "I'm duelling as well, and you won't stop me!"

Jilen took a small step back in surprise, the scared and frightened girl he had left behind had changed so quickly in such a short amount of time. Hearing her strong and confident words put a proud smile on his face, "My lady….You've certainly grown up into a fine woman. I couldn't be more proud and honoured to duel alongside you." She then smiled as she stepped onto the field as well, "Come! Let us protect Ryuga together!" he said to Ikuchi who nodded as they both activated their diadhanks which caused 5 stone tablets to sprout from the ground on their side.

"Oh? The princess shall be duelling too alongside her protector?" Akz smirked, "This should be interesting indeed…."

"Hehe, at least now the odds ought to be much more even, if we won 2 against one wit'd be way too easy." Leilei added with a big grin on his face, "Let's see what you're made of!" As he finished the 2 beast warriors activated their diadhanks as 5 stone slates erupted each from the ground, "How about this? This will be a tag duel where the field and graveyard will be shared by both teams. However, each duelist will have an individual set of 4000 life points."

"A fine set of rules Leilei," Akz said in agreement before turning to their opponents at the other side, "Any objections from either of you?"

"I have no such qualm." Jilen stated.

"His answer is the same as mine." Ikuchi followed.

Akz then smirked in response, "Hehe, very well then. Without further ado, let's get this match started!"

DUEL!

 **Jilen: 4000**

 **Ikuchi: 4000**

 **Akz: 4000**

 **Lei Lei: 4000**

"I shall go first!" Leilei declared, "I activate the spell unexpected dai! This allows me to special summon any level 4 or lower normal monster from my deck, under the condition I have no monsters in the first place!" As the spell glowed and vanished, a new one appeared in its place before flipping forward, "And I choose my gene warped war wolf, appear in attack mode!" The tablet exploded and appearing was a white were wolf monster with 4 arms. "Now I summon mad dog of darkness!" A vicious canine monster with snarling fangs and disgusting drool took to the field with a shrill howl, to Jilen and Ikuchi's disgust. "And last but not least, I'll activate the continuos spell heart of the underdog!" Leilei declared as the spell flipped forward and glowed. "Now whenever a normal monster is drawn, we can draw again, and should we gain another normal monster, the cycle shall repeat itself again and again!"

Akz then grinned, "Excellent work Leileil you've provided our side with a tactical advantage on our very first turn!

"Why of course partner," Leilei boasted while rubbing his nose arrogantly.

"This may be harder than our last duel..." Ikuchi thought to herself, seeing how their teamwork and trust in each other was much more efficient than Zaki and Haga.

"Don't worry lady Ikuchi, we will prevail over these monsters together." Jilen replied assuringly which made Ikuchi nod back in response confidently.

"Hoho! I highly doubt it, but feel free to prove us wrong. It's your turn now." Akz chuckled arrogantly.

"Gladly! It's my turn! Draw!" Ikuchi replied as a new slate erupted from the ground. Looking at her hand she knew exactly what to do now. "I activate my warrior of Atlantis' special ability from my hand! By sending him to the graveyard I can add this field spell straight to my hand!" The monster on the card vanished before a new card slate appeared in its place, "But it won't be staying in my hand for long because I am about to play it, and give our side a terrain advantage!" The spell glowed which transformed the space outside the cottage into a large temple partially submerged in water. Ikuchi and Jilen stood at one side of the temple while Akz and Leilei stood at the other, with a large body of water separating them. "Behold the greatest ocean field of all! Leumeria! The forgotten city!"

As he looked around, Jilen smiled proudly, "Impressive as always my lady…." he stated impressed.

Their opponents on the other hand weren't as impressed though, "So you turned the field into an ancient temple surrounded by water. As if that is going to do you any good."

"We'll see about that." Ikuchi responded, "I now summon Codarus in attack mode!" A card slate sunk into the water and after a bight light shone from below, a medium sized blue sea serpent monster appeared out of the water. "Thanks to the field spell it gains 200 attack points!"

 **1400-1600**

At the appearance of the monster, Akz and Leilei began to grin in amusement, "Hehe, we're still not impressed." Akz chuckled amused.

"Yeah! Your little fish can't stand up to either of my powerful beasts!" Leilei added.

Ikuchi then smirked, "In a contest of power perhaps, but even I know much better than that."

"Then why bother calling forth that measly eel of a monster?" Leilei asked.

"Because of this!" she replied, "I activate my monster's ability! By sending my field spell to the graveyard I can send 2 cards on your field down into the deep with it!"

Both their opponents gasped with widened eyes, "What!?"

"Go! Deep submerge!" she commanded as Codarus dove under water and a large whirlpool generated in the center of the wall which caused all the entire field to crumble into pieces and get sucked inside along with the 2 beast monsters that cried as they were pulled into the abyss!

 **1600-1400**

"My Codarus may lose 200 points but now he has a clear shot at your life points!"

"Excellent strategy Ikuchi!" Jilen cheered.

"Attack directly with water stream!" she commanded as Codarus opened its jaws and fired a powerful stream of water straight at Akz! Soaking him completely in water as well as pushing him some feet away from where he stood!

"Gaaargh!"

"Akz! No!" Leilei gasped.

 **Akz: 4000-2600**

Completely soaked and dripping with water, Akz snarled as his eyes hardened like daggers, "Tch! You'll pay for that….Mark my words." the feline man grunted as he stood back up on his feet with a furious gaze.

"I place 2 cards facedown and end my turn." the princess concluded as 2 facedowns fell forward.

Jilen then turned to his mistress with a most pleased expression, "Excellent move lady Ikuchi! I see you've learnt some new things of your own during my absence!"

Turning to him, "I have Ryuga to thank for that, and I am going to use each and everyone of the skills he taught me to protect him!" she replied.

"You can be assured that's I will support you as well." he replied.

"Thank you Jilen." she nodded as they both turned to face their opponents once more together. They then noticed Akz had clenched his fist tightly like a rock before snarling and bearing his fangs!

"Y...you! I don't care if you're the royal princess or not! Strike that, I don't care if Enigma demands that we bring you back alive or not! By soaking me and my favorite cloak in vile water you've made this personal! Expect no mercy from me!" Akz roared furiously which put Jilen and Ikuchi on alert while Leilei smirked knowing his partner was about to get all the more serious."My draw!" he declared as a new card slate erupted from the ground, "And thanks to Leilei's heart of the underdog, since I drew the all seeing white tiger I may draw another card!" The slate depicting the tiger flipped forward and soon a new one appeared, "I drew Tiger axe! That means I draw again!" The same process repeated only this time the card didn't flip forward. Akz then rubbed his chin with his finger before proceeding, "Hmm, to start my turn I shall summon tiger axe from my hand in attack mode." The axe wielding tiger with an large axe appeared on the field with a low growl.

"That monster isn't strong enough to overcome my codarus." Ikuchi replied which was now in the river by the cottage, which now divided the battle field in half

"Who said I was going to use him in battle?" Akz smirked deviously, "I activate white elephant's gift! By sending my tiger to the graveyard I may draw 2 additional cards!" The spell glowed which absorbed tiger axe and it exploded into sparkles which rejoined as 2 new slates causing him to grin, "These will do most nicely! First I activate exchange! Now I can exchange any card in my hand with another duelist on the field!" He then turned to his side, "Leileil! It's time we changed things up a little!"

"Very well then, let's see what you have partner." the large burly warrior replied as he walked over to Akz who showed his hand. After looking at each other's hand Akz pointed out to a card in Leilei's.

"That card seems promising how would you like it exchange for this one?" he offered.

"A promising trade, but I prefer the last one on your left," Leilei replied.

"This one? Very well then, as you wish." Both card slates then swapped with each other. Seeing their close connection and trust in each other was something Ikuchi was being more wary of. Turning towards the duel once more, Akz then grinned specifically at Ikuchi. "My dear princess, despite you soaking me and my best outfit in water I am feeling rather generous at the moment. Therefore I shall include you in another spell of mine called fair exchange!" he stated as the spell turned and activated.

Ikuchi raised an eyebrow, "How does that card involve me?" she asked.

"It's rather simple really," he smirked, "By discarding 3 cards from the top of my deck my spell forces you to discard the same number of cards from your deck equal to the combined levels of any monsters sent!" he laughed.

"Tch!" she clicked her tongue in response.

Jilin's eyes widened in anger, "Leave my lady alone! Take me instead!" he yelled.

"How noble, too bad it will get you nowhere, my business with the girl!" Akz replied.

Leilei then giggled, "Heehehehe! This oughta be fun, feeling all helpless and all, unable to do anything while your responsibility suffers!"

"You despicable lowlives-" Jilen hissed under his breath.

Ikuhfci then turned to her bodyguard with an assuring look on her face. "I will be fine Jilen! Don't worry." she stated as she narrowed her eyes ready for what was to come next.

"Feeling confident aren't you? We'll see about that." Akz chuckled as 3 new card slates appeared out of the ground and revealed themselves as Vorse raider, Griffore and beast burial ritual. "The total levels of my monsters is 8, so you must discard 8 cards!"

"As you wish..." Ikuchi reluctantly replied as 8 card slates erupted from the ground before her and exploded, which were Umi, Spiral serpent, red eyed salamander, maiden of the aqua, giant flood, cold wave, diamond dust and a new monster which resembled a large swordfish like monster with large webbed fins, a long armoured arrow tipped head and seaweed like tendrils stretching across its back to its finned tail.

"8 cards...that is quite the sacrifice, not to mention she lost most of her best cards in the process..." Jilen noted worryingly seeing her loss.

"I am not finished yet though!" Akz continued, "Next I play the card that was given to me by Leilei! Takeover five! When this spell is activated I discard my top 5 cards, but on my next standby phase I can banish this card in order to draw an extra card!" He stated as 5 card slates erupted from the ground-revealing Leogun, Sleeping lion, Beastking Barbaros, Wild nature's release and Beast soul swap.

Jilen narrowed his eyes, "What is he planning? To send so many cards from his deck to the graveyard he must have a reason..."

"And now for the main event!" Akz boldly declared, "I activate the ritual spell! War lion ritual! With this card I tribute my level 4 soul tiger and level 3 all seeing white tiger in my hand!" The spell glowed and absorbed both tigers into it, "In the mighty jungle, the Great king of the beasts dwells. Awaken and bring your helpless prey down to their knees with your mighty roar! I ritual summon! Appear! Level 7! Super war lion!" Leaping out of the spell and onto the field was a large bipedal lion sharp claws and a flared mane, which let out a loud roar! "Now to set the perfect stage for the hunt! I play the continuos spell Spiritual forest!" The spell flipped forward and generated a forest of mystical trees on the opposing field across the river. "As long as this remains in play all plant, beast and beast warrior type monsters can't be destroyed by battle once per turn!"

"Excellent partner!" Leilei cheered excitedly as a large grin opened across his face, "Now that's what I call teamwork!"

"With that card out it will become that much harder to take down their life points….." Ikuchi thought to herself observing the situation more carefully, as both duelists appeared to focus their decks on beast or beast warriors.

"It's too early to be impressed Leilei," Akz smirked, "The hunt is about to begin, and my beast's first victim will be none other than the princess' fish!" As he said that, Ikuchi hardened her gaze as the lion growled in anticipation for its next meal, "Now my super war lion is going to sink its claws into that helpless Codarus of hers! Go king lion tearing strike!" As he commanded the lion roared ferociously before leaping into the air and preparing to strike down on codarus in the water!

"Lady Ikuchi!" Jilen cried out in alarm!

"Ahahaha! Your feeble fish shall make a fine feast for my king of the beasts!" Akz laughed as the lion closed in!

When it was just seconds from landing on Codarus and about to sink in its claws and fangs into its soft body, "Not so fast!" she then called out, "I activate the trap Ice block!" The facedown flipped forward and shot out a stream of ice which froze super war lion in a block of ice!

"Huh!?" Both Akz and Leilei were caught completely by surprise. Even Jilen did not expect that outcome.

"Wh…what have you done to my fantastic feline!?" Akz gasped looking on at his most prized monster now frozen stiff in ice!

"Thanks to you launching an attack against me, my trap now freezes your monster in place!" Ikuchi answered, "Rendering it unable to switch into defence mode nor make any attacks until the next end phase! So I am afraid your overgrown furball of a beast is going to be completely helpless against any counterattack of ours until then!"

"Excellent move my lady! Well played indeed hoho!" Jilen cheered in admiration, "But I expected nothing less from the future heir of Norvagen, especially after having been taught by both myself and Lord Ryuga."

"Thank you Jilen," Ikuchi replied, "You can be sure I have no intention of letting a pair of bounty hunters take me or Ryuga in a million years." she said as she regained her serious expression and focus to the duel.

"Tch! In that case I end my turn with one facedown card," Akz grumbled in response as he placed a card slate down, "Perhaps you both may have a hint of lady luck on your side after all…."

"That wasn't luck in the slightest, in fact that was skill and determination." Jilen replied, "To fight for ones in need and not for selfish greed! That is why we will prevail and you two shall fall!" he proclaimed boldly.

"Ha! You must be joking if you actually believe that!" Akz laughed in response finding his statement to be ridiculous.

"We will see who the true jokers are!" Jilen stated back in response, "It is now my turn! Prepare yourselves you villains! Draw!" As a new card slate appeared before the great Norvagen warrior he then looks towards Ikuchi, "My lady, if I may?"

Knowing exactly what he was aiming for she nodded, "This is a team effort Jilen, My cards are yours as well."

"Your generosity is most appreciated and shall be repaid in full soon enough." he bowed respectfully, "I activate the ritual spell known as contract with the abyss!" The stone tablet flipped forward, "By tributing monsters whose levels equal the dark monster of my choice, I can ritual summon that monster from my hand! So now I tribute Lady Ikuchi's level 4 codarus and the level 3 familiar knight in my hand to ritual summon!" Codarus and Familiar knight were absorbed into the dark abyss generated by the spell, "Warrior of the 6 sinister blades, come forth and serve by my side to end our enemies! I ritual summon! Appear! Level 7! Garma sword!" The fearsome warrior monster rose out of the darkness and took to the field! "Next I equip garma sword with the axe of despair! This powerful new weapon raises his attack strength up by a 1000 points!" 2 swords vanished from Garma sword's hands before they collected into a single large axe which both hands then wielded.

 **2550-3550**

"3550 attack points…." Leilei grunted annoyed.

"This will be quite troublesome indeed…." Akz followed.

Jilen proceeded with his battle phase seeing the time was now, "With my garma sword now powered up, he now attacks super war lion! Slay that beast with your Serrated sword slash!" Garma sword yelled a battle cry before charging forward, leaping over the river and launching a heavy barrage of attacks at the frozen lion! The resulting blade swipes sent shockwaves which rocked Akz rather violently!

 **Akz: 4000-2750**

"Urgh! Due to spiritual forest my lion isn't destroyed!" As Akz said, the trees from the spell glowed which created a light shield around Super war lion and prevented its destruction.

"No matter, that fact you've taken damage is acceptable enough for me." Jilen replied seeing his attack as a success before turning to 2 other cards at his side, "I shall place 2 cards facedown on the field and that concludes my turn. The turn is now yours." He said as 2 card slates fell forward, "While I may not be one to boast, I must say the odds are stacked against you both. However, since we are most gene ours, we shall give you a chance to turn back now and tell your fellow bounty hunter and assassins to never dare threaten us again!" Jilen said warningly.

"For your sakes you'd best take it," Ikuch added feeling compassionate, "Why not end this duel peacefully, so no one may need to suffer any needless injury?"

"And give up the reward of a lifetime and a place at Enigma's inner circle when he rules the world? You can just forget it!" Akz growled angrily in response.

"Save your pity for someone who actually needs it! This duel is far from finished! You can be sure that we will be the last bounty hunters you'll ever see, because we'll be the ones to collect the hefty rewards off your heads!" Leilei added at the end as he began his turn, "I draw! And thanks to heart of the underdog, since I drew wolf I can draw again!" The slate revealed itself, "Now I drew Silver fang! This means I draw again!" Like before a new card slate erupted from the ground. Looking at it he then grinned at it maliciously, "Hehehe! You're in for it now you royal dog of the king! With this card the bounty is as good as ours!"

Jilen's are perked up upon hearing him, "Surely you jest!"

"Want to bet!?" Leilei cried eagerly, "First due to takeover five, by banishing it I draw a card!" The spell tablet from his grave vanished in a banish portal before a new one appeared from the ground, "Now I activate the ritual spell known as synthesis spell! With it I tribute my wolf and silver fang from my hand!" A huge glass tank erupted from the spell card slate and both canine monsters were absorbed into it, their essence converging into a humanoid figure which began to transform into a more beast-like shape! "Great warrior enhanced by science, with the power and savagery of the beast embedded in your veins, awaken your bloodthirsty primal instincts under the night of the full moon and reveal your all powerful true form! I ritual summon! Appear! Level 6! Lycanthrope!" As the tank exploded it revealed a saved werewolf who let out a shrill howl and bared its ferocious fangs!

While Ikuchi began to shudder at the beast's ferocity, Jilen stood his ground filmy, "That overgrown hound doesn't frighten me! Especially once I activate my trap Dark tournament!" One facedown revealed itself, "Now monsters in attack mode must attack if able, and any monsters that do battle won't be destroyed! Now come! Do your worst and feel the force of your own meaningless attacks backfire against yourselves!" he called out bravely.

Hearing that however only made Leilei's grin grow even more so, "Hehe I cant wait to wipe off that cocky smile of yours right off that face of yours! And this card will make sure of it!" He said looking to another card, "I equip my lycanthrope with path to destiny! This allows him to wage a direct attack!"

"D...direct attack!?" Ikuchi gasped in alarm before suddenly shaking with fear and frozen stiff! Her previous courage had now been drained from her fearing what a direct strike from the vicious werewolf would do to her!

"That's correct and guess who the lucky target will be!" he grinned before turning his attention towards the terrified princess!

Looking back and forth between them, Jilen then clenched his fist in anger, "You fiend! If you lay a hand on my lady ikuchi, I'll-"

"You'll what? Haha!" Akz laughed amused at Jilin's empty threats, "Your turn will come soon, but for now you can stand back and watch your own failure unravel before your eyes!" He then turned to Leilei, "Do it now!"

Alright alright…Yeesh…" Leilei scoffed, "No worries little missy, I'm sure I can get my pet to show some restraint. The worse you'll get is a scar on that pretty face of yours, but other than that you'll still be very much alive and acceptable for the bounty! Lycanthrope! Go!" The werewolf howled fiercely before rushing across the field on all fours before leaping over the river, raising out its claw and preparing to strike down on Ikuchi!

"Aaaaahhh!" she screamed as she closed her eyes and covered her head not wishing to look.

"I think not you fiends! No one lays a hand on Lady Ikuchi!" Jilen shouted out loud catching everyone's attention on the battlefield, "I activate attack guidance armour! Now your wolf's attack switches to my garma sword like it should have been!" The trap flipped forward and attached itself to Garma Sword! Before Lycanthrope could bring down its claw on Ikuchi it then stopped midway before turning to the armour, which glowed and prompted it to change attack targets! It then howled before leaping towards Garma Sword who flashed its axe and swords.

"He…saved me…." Ikuchi breathed relieved as she looked up.

"That won't make much difference to our plan at all!" Leilei yelled in response.

"And how would that be?" Jilen asked, "My monster clearly has yours outmatched!"

"It won't be for long!" Akz interrupted, "I activate the trap beast rising! Once per turn I can banish a beast or beast warrior monster from my graveyard in order to grant a monster of either type an attack point boost equal to that monster's attack points!" The trap flipped forward and glowed, "I banish my beast king barbaros in order to give Leilei's lycanthrope its 3000 attack points!" The spirit of the mighty lion monster shot out of the trap and was absorbed by Lycanthrope, whose muscles bulged and claws sharpened!

 **2400-5400**

"It has over 5000!?" Jilen gasped in alarm! "That's far too strong for my garma sword!"

"If you think things are bad now just you wait," Akz grinned, "It's about to get much worse!"

Leilei then continued, "When lycanthrope inflicts battle damage it also inflicts 200 points of damage for each normal monster in our graveyard!"

"What!?" Jilen gasped in disbelief.

"That's why they sent all those monsters to their graveyard!" Ikuchi realised, also this tag duel was part of their strategy to maximise their abilities and powers together!

"There are 11 normal monsters in our graveyard, now take 2200 points of damage and lose!" Leilei yelled as Lycanthrope slashed straight at Garma Sword, overpowering its weapons and sending a massive shockwave straight at Jilen! Who was completely blown back by the tremendous power!

"Aaaaaaargh!" he screamed as he was blown into a tree and knocked nearly unconscious to the ground!

 **Jilen: 4000-0**

"Jilen!" Ikuchi cried as she ran to his side, "A…Are you alright!? Please say something!" she begged desperately as he responded with a weak groan.

He opened his eyes and looked up at the little girl's face before gently putting his hand on her cheek, "My lady...forgive me for...failing you…." after those last words he then passed out from exhaustion.

Upon seeing her bodyguard out of the duel and unable to support her any longer, as well as remembering Ryuga was still injured himself back at the cabin, Ikuchi felt every drop of determination and strength sapped away as she finally realised she was now alone in the duel, "Jilen! Please get up! I…I cant do this by myself…." she cried as tears of fear and worry began to fall from her face.

 **(Ryuga POV)**

While the duel took place outside the cabin, I was restlessly tossing and turning around in my sleep due to the injuries I sustained once more reenacting with pain! Eventually no longer being able to stand it, I then opened my eyes….Only to find out I wasn't in the cabin anymore. "Wh….where am I?" Before me stood a vast field of flowers, which then shifted to a tranquil forest filled with chirping birds, followed by a windswept canyon and finally a cold desert under the night of the full moon. Soon all 4 areas came into view (Like quartet of quandary) "Why do these places look so familiar?" I asked myself curiously before remembering exactly where they were! "Th…these are…" A stone tablet depicting a mighty dragon erupted from the ground in each of the 4 areas, and soon they all shone and exploded, revealing the dragons within them who let out a mighty roar as they stood before me.

"Bahamut, Tiamat, Fafnir and Jormangandr." I said to myself in awe as they kneeled down in respect, acknowledging me as their lord and master, "Just like how I found them long ago….I was really hoping to use them against Zarc in a rematch for his title as duel champion." A cold breeze soon blew across us all, and the 4 dragons soon turned around towards an ice plateau in the middle of the freezing sea, which suddenly appeared. There was a stone tablet there on its icy ridge and like the others it soon glowed and exploded, revealing a magnificent sea wyrm dragon whose scales were as blue as the azure waters of the sea and she gave off a gentle cold breeze from the icicle shaped scales which embedded along the length of her body down to the tip of her tail fluke. She dove into the water and leapt out of it displaying a magnificent sparkle which captivated the eyes of us all….I really had no words to describe her, if I did I'd be writing an either book! "That beautiful dragon…where have I seen her before?" I muttered in awe before finally recognising her, "That's the dragon that resembled all those crests back at the kingdom! Which means…." I eventually recalled her name, "Ah! That's…Leviathan!" I gasped in amazement, "But….what does she have to do with the others? I've never met her, and yet….she seems so familiar…."

As time passed on, all 5 dragons bonded very well with each other as well as me. We developed memorable and enriching experiences together in our time, and most of all, Bahamut and Leviathan seemed to have the closest connection of all….which even rivalled that of mine with each of them individually. My eyes soon widened in realisation, "Wait a minute…these are memories back when I was Dahaka in the original dimension! When I first met and bonded together with and every one of the dragons!" I gasped in surprise, "But how come…I never remembered any of this?"

Soon the bright and warm memories shifted to a dark and ruined landscape in the city. I instantly recognised it, "This was when Zarc turned rogue and merged with his own dragons to become Supreme King Zarc! He laid waste to the city, and this was when I ventured out to face him….But something happened before that….." I breathed as Dahaka soon arrived on the scene where he, or should I say I, summoned my 4 most trusted monsters to my side and eventually Leviathan appeared. I then summoned a stone tablet from the ground, which resembled the one the great ice dragon was sealed inside once, "Hey…that time…." I soon recalled the tragic event that continued to eat away at my own heart since the moment I even came up with the plan to seal away Leviathan, which grew ever more so when the deed was completed. I watched in horror as my former self then sealed away the helpless sea dragon into the stone tablet, before placing a protective seal which I created using the energies of the other 4 dragons. Once the seal was placed, a bright light soon erupted out of it and it began to swallow then entire area and soon it headed straight for me!

"N….NO! Wait! STOP!" I cried as the bright light enveloped me completely and I soon couldn't see anymore.

I suddenly opened my eyes back in the real world, "GAAAAHHH!" I exclaimed as I shot forward from my bed! *Gasp* Gasp* I then gasped for air having that entire experience flash before my eyes, placing my hand against my chest I then felt my heart racing quite violently.

"It was only a dream Ryuga, not to worry." I looked up to see Bahamut by the side of the bed, having watched over me for some time since Jilen and Ikuchi left my side. Gathered in the same room on different sides of it were Fafnir, Jormangandr and Tiamat as well, all of which were equally worried for me.

"That's good to know guys," I replied with a breath of relief though my head still throbbed and ached as I placed my hand upon it. Looking up to all 4 of my dragons I then smiled, "Good to see you all together again," I then turned my attention to a certain one who I had been worried about more than the others, "So Fafnir, how's your wing doing now?"

After I asked, she then turned over to her wing (Which looked like it had made some recovery with the wounds finally closed up, except for a scar left behind) and began moving it. "As much as I hate to admit it, there's been significant improvement since last night, despite the….unpleasant treatment I was given my wing has made a miraculous recovery that would have no doubt taken weeks or even months to heal."

"And who do we have to thank for that? Hmm?" We all then turned towards Tiamat who apparently was feeling full of herself and acting somewhat snobbish to Fafnir's dismay.

She then sighed but swallowed her pride for the sake of giving her thanks, "I must say, despite being the dark and terrible queen of the shadows you also make a very decent doctor….eventhough your methods can be unusual and extreme….." she muttered in annoyance.

"Heh…" she smirked feeling proud of herself. Somehow I had the feeling I didn't want to know what she did to treat Fafnir's wing….

I then chuckled a bit in amused, seeing how close everyone was as family. And speaking of family….Looking back on what I saw first hand in my dream a moment ago, some very old memories from my former life as Dahaka slowly started to return to me. Memories that had long since sealed ever since my last dragon had separated from the rest of us, only now awoken due to the sheer stress from the duel and from being within ritual dimension's power (Created from Leviathan herself) long enough. I wanted to step outside for some fresh air but suddenly a strike of pain rushed through me the moment I tried to stand up! "Urgh!" I grunted clutching my side before being forced to fall back on the bed!

"Easy Ryuga, you're not at 100% yet. Stay in bed and get some more rest, that last duel wiped out a lot of your energy….as well as my own." Bahamut said kindly as he looked over me, as well as clutching his side where some pain from the last battle still remained active.

"Hmmm…" I then sat down and drifted back into my thoughts on the matter, seeing as how I couldn't go outside for some air. "Leviathan….How could I ever forget you or what I did to you back then? Oh how I wish I could take it all back…" I thought to myself as I gripped more tightly on my blanket feeling regretful about the foolish mistake and choice I made that day. Now that the disaster was over I would give just about anything if I could rewrite that wrong, so that we all can be together like we should have been….

"Ryuga? Is something wrong?" Bahamut suddenly asked noticing I had gone silent and had been staring into blank space for a while now. I then turned around and noticed they were all gathering around me to find out what was on my mind. Little did I know, was that they had suspicions on what had happened with me earlier in my sleep, and what my dream was about….

I found it hard to explain but I figured I should just come clean with my friends so that we all may be able to figure this out together, "Guys….just now….I think I just-"

"Remembered everything else?" Tiamat interrupted to my surprise.

"Huh?"

"Our long lost comrade Leviathan?"

"The one we wrongly sealed away in the cold and lonely space for who knows how long?"

"Our actions which were wrongly justified as doing right when it was against her own will?"

"And how this world was actually created from her?

I couldn't believe it, they actually knew everything I was about to say before I even said them, "What!? H…How did you know before I even said anything?"

"We actually saw your dream as well while we watched over you, and it was then we realised your long dormant memories of ritual had finally awoken and came to light." Jormangandr answered, "Something we never imagined would ever happen. But ever since we came here to ritual dimension, we had a feeling it may have been a matter of time…."

"I believe it's safe to say our former master Dahaka has now been fully reborn in you, now that every past memory of his has finally returned." Bahamut added seeing now that their former master's final memories had returned.

"I see…." I thought to myself before looking down sadly, "Poor Leviathan….How sad she must feel and how angry she must be at us now?"

"You have know idea….Man did she really know how to give us our just desserts, even though we didn't mean to give her the cold shoulder." Tiamat said out loud to herself while still remembering the freezing blizzard Leviathan had unleashed in her anger.

My ears then perked up at what she said, "What?"

"Tiamat!" The others yelled furiously as they glared at her careless words.

"Oops….My tongue slipped there…." she squeaked as she decided to go seclude herself in the corner.

Looking at my puzzled expression after that, Bahamut then sighed, "It's fine, I think it's time we ourselves come clean with our own family secret."

"Hmmm…Maybe you're right…." Fafnir and Jormangandr replied in agreement.

I looked at them puzzled considering nothing they said happened to make any sense to me. "Ummm….What are you guys talking about?" I asked curiously. It wasn't like them to live me out of their family affairs unless they wanted to protect me, but somehow it was different this time.

Looking at me once more and then discussing privately with each other, they all decided to fess up, "Ryuga listen-"

"We've…actually got something to share with you."

They soon told me about everything that went on behind my back while I was Ikuchi in the glade outside the castle a couple of days back. Astoundingly, they actually found Leviathan's seal (The we locked her inside ages ago) deep within the secret chambers of the Norvagen palace! She also briefed them all about everything that took place before her eyes aver since the original dimension was split into 4, or in this case 5, and the whole story I was told from Ikuchi was indeed true. How she founded the kingdom and bonds between human and monster, and finally how that all deteriorated one day after the dark tragedy. The emotions she felt being forced to bear witness these events unfold and being unable to do anything about them….No one could ever imagine how much pain and suffering we would unintentionally force upon her, when all we wanted to do was protect her during the battle against the greatest evil of all….Our precious snow crystal….

After they finished their story, the feelings of regret that I once felt that day as Dahaka after imprisoning her in stone and separating her from the rest of our family were beginning to return and fill my heart with guilt and remorse…And now….to think all this happened because I prevented you from being able to interfere directly with the world like the others….I couldn't ever imagine how hateful she must be of us to make her watch this world grow cold for so many years all alone….

"That settles it guys, we've got to get back to Norvagen." I said firmly having made my decision, "Not just to put an end to this running and hiding from Enigma and Norvagen….but also so that we can save our friend Leviathan before she may fall into the wrong hands. We were wrong to have sealed her away when we should have trusted her to help us, it's time we made things right with her and this world like the lancers would, once and for all."

The others went slightly surprised at my sudden statement but then nodded back in agreement knowing it was the only one term solution to our being hunted problem, "The seal may still keep her safe, but I doubt even its power would deny any power hungry tyrant like Enigma forever. Also, it wouldn't be right to just leave her there in that kingdom amongst all that chaos, she's been through more pain and solitude. than anyone can ever bear." Bahamut said feeling remorseful for subjecting his long lost love to that pain, as well as longing to rectify that mistake once and for all. In fact I could tell they all were in the same mind.

"I concur you guys," I replied in full agreement as well as carefully deciding our next move from here, (Something I learnt from Reiji a while back since synchro) "In fact once Jilen gets back we'll-" I then paused for a moment, looking around I realised all along we were missing 2 people since the conversation started! "Wait a minute….Hey guys…Have you seen Ikuchi?" I asked nervously.

They all then came to a sudden shock and realisation, after looking around in separate directions they all sweat dropped, "Actually….no we haven't?"

"It's amazing how focused you can be in a conversation you fail to take note of your own surroundings…." Tiamat commented while she scratched her horns.

"Great, now we've got go look for her," I sighed having another problem added to our list of troubles, "Hopefully she hasn't gone too far from here. Hey Fafnir, could you-" Before i could request a spread out and search, I overheard a loud series of explosions happening outside the cabin which caught my attention, "Huh? What's that noise?" I asked curiously to myself as I stepped out of bed. I still hadn't fully recovered so I cringed painfully after taking a few steps. Jormangnadr wanted to put me back but I held out my hand telling him to stop and that I you ld handle myself, "Something's going on outside for sure, wonder what that could be?" As I limped over to one of the windows I was surprised to see Jilen had retuned back from last night and Ikuchi was next to him. In fact, the 2 of them were engaged in a tag duel against an Akz the Pumer and an Indomitable fighter Leilei! It didn't take long for me to piece together the whole situation, "They're duelling bounty hunters now!?" I gasped in bewilderment as the others came to see for themselves.

"Without us even!? How rude!" Tiamat growled in annoyance, while we just sweat dropped in dismay.

"Seriously? That's all you can think of?" I thought before turning back to outside. We were just attacked this morning, to be hunted again so soon….Clearly I underestimated how greedy the bounty hunters in Norvagen were, not to mention how relentless Enigma truly was in capturing us. I tried to make it to the door, but a strike of pain through my leg surged through my body as I took another step towards it! "Tch! If I wasn't so weak right now I'd help them drive off those bounty hunters…." I hissed before looking back outside. I looked on in horror as Jilen was knocked out of the duel by Lycanthrope and now Ikuchi was left all alone to face the 2 bounty hunters present, "Ikuchi!" I yelled frustratedly before punching the wall, "Argh! I hate it when I can't do anything but spectate! Also, Ikuchi…Ikuchi is-"

Bahamut then embraced me in his wings, using his light power to calm down my anger, "Easy Ryuga, if you exhaust yourself now in your condition, you'll only hod Ikuchi back by increasing her worry about having to protect you in the open, or worse risk in even greater danger or injury." he said to me firmly.

"Bahamut…" I sighed in dismay.

"For now save your strength, let's put our hopes in her and I am certain she will succeed. After all you did train her yourself to the best of her abilities did you not?" Stated Jormangandr in full confidence in the young Norvagen Princess, "If she does fall, which I highly doubt, only then shall we intercede."

I then nodded deciding to trust in them and in Ikuchi to win, "Go on Ikuchi, I know you can win this! I believe in you…."

 **(Duel)**

Back at the duel field, Ikuchi was completely overwhelmed by fear and sadness she froze in place, unable to make any sort of move or even say a single word.

"Aww whats the matter now?" Lelei mocked hoping to break her motivation and will to fight so they wouldn't need to go through any more trouble in the duel. "Not so tough or bravado now without your bodyguard eh?"

"It's just as enigma told us, you're nothing but a scared little kid and always will be!" Akz laughed in response, "It's a wonder how you're destined for the throne in the first place."

"Hahaha a crybaby like her rule Norvagen, now that's laughable!" They both began to laugh mockingly and uncontrollably at the weak princess now before them, with her protection out of the way and now on her own she and the others, Jilen and Ryuga, were pretty much theirs for the taking.

Ikuchi clasped her head in her 2 hands, heavy bitter tears began to fall from her eyes and onto the ground. Memories of her miserable life which stemmed back since the night of the 2 stars and all the horrible experiences she suffered since then began to flood her mind which then mixed in with those of the disaster she recently bore witness, why….what did she ever do to deserve all this? Not only that….the peace they once treasured and valued for generations now gone and now monsters may end up going back into persecution once more….Was there really no way to put an end to all this? Will the Norvagen kingdom she once called her home never return? Was there even a reason for her to keep fighting if it was pretty inevitable? If that's true then….what has she been living for this entire time?

As these many questions plagued her conscience, a certain memory soon reignited within the dark thoughts that surrounded her, as if a spark lit a flame in the darkness which she was trapped in. "I've never let things like fate or destiny control me. I've always worked hard with resolve and determination to carve out a new path and future for myself. Both me, and other close friends I know back home, we hold on together and stay with each other through thick and thin and because of that we've always prevailed over every challenge life has presented us. And I'm sure you can do the same!"

"R…Ryuga…." she breathed, as after that the dark thoughts and negative doubts inside her began to change into warmer brighter memories (From being raised and trained by Jilen, to the warmth embrace she once experienced by both her parents, and finally….meeting Ryuga who had opened a new path and possibility to her. They truly loved and believed in her….she now realised that, all along they always had faith and wanted a brighter future for their world, and they wanted her to be the one to carry out that future from the very beginning)

While she was deep in thought Akz and Leilei became puzzled by her sudden silence. They began to assume she was;t going to put up anymore resistance so they decided to head over the river and capture her using their monsters, but before they could issue an order Ikuchi immediately broke the silence. "You're right I admit it…."

"Huh?"

"I am weak, helpless and scared." she continued, "I couldn't do anything to protect my family when the tragedy which divided monsters and people took place long ago. Because I was weak, I only stood by and watched from afar as innocent monsters suffer and the peace and unity of the kingdom deteriorate even more. I was always treated like an obedient doll and acting or even living according to how everyone wanted me to be since that day. Never speaking out or thinking for myself even once….Even now, standing here all by myself alone with no one to aid me is even more than I can ever handle in my entire prison of a life….." after she said that however, she then turned around facing both her opponents and opened them firmly,"But not anymore! No more running or cowering in fear! I now see that the courage and strength I always needed was inside me the entire time! And it's thanks to my friends and those who stood by since then that I have this hope inside me, for their sakes I will not lose!" she yelled which came as a surprise to both Akz and Leilei who were expecting her to yield and give in by now.

"Oh? You're really going through with this?"

"Eventhough you know we could just end you with a single attack here and now?" they asked rather amused and thinking of her merely putting on a brave facade. However, they soon began to realise it was very much real.

"That's right!" she yelled back in response, mustering up all her strength as she stood up. "If I don't stand and fight now I will always be running away like a frightened child and letting others fight my battles. It's because I wasn't strong that I couldn't protect those I truly cared about," she continued remembering the tragedy that befell Norvagen years ago, the same one which took her mother away, "Because of my fears and weakness Norvagen had fallen colder and further from the path it should have taken." she then opened her eyes seriously as she faced her 2 opponents head on, "But no more, now I make my own choice and my own stand! For the sake of Norvagen and those I love, I will fight for them with everything I have and never forsake them, even for my own life!" she yelled with tremendous courage and energy building up inside her own heart and soul. The frightened princess of Norvagen was no more, now she had been reborn as one who would protect those she loved and treasured, "I draw!" A new spell appeared before her and she nodded at it, "I activate the spell card water of life! This lets me special summon one monster from my graveyard in attack mode! Rise from the abyss Levia dragon Daedalus!" A jar filled with enchanted water appeared from the spell and poured out on the ground. A crack then began to open under it, and out from it came the massive sea serpent monster which hissed loudly upon revival! "Now I sacrifice Daedalus in order to evolve him into an even more powerful monster! Ocean dragon Lord Neo Daedalus!" The massive sea serpent was then enveloped in a surging whirlpool of water before evolving underneath it in blue light. The water then receded and revealed its new more powerful twin headed form!

Akz and Leilei looked upon the new monster mildly impressed, "Not bad little miss, but that sea worm doesn't come close to beating lycanthrope."

"And even if you manage to summon a monster to attack my frozen super war lion, it won't matter because with spiritual forest in play it can't be destroyed in battle!" They boosted arrogantly, "You cant win so just give up and come with us! It will make it a whole lot easier for us, not to mention the bounty will be all the more if you're in one piece without a single scratch in your pretty little head."

"It's I who should be asking you to give up, and very soon you will be begging for mercy." she responded, with no trace of insecurity in her voice.

"What?" they questioned suspiciously.

"If you don't believe me just wait and see." she continued, "Now I trigger the trap sea stealth attack! This allows me to activate my leumeria field spell from my graveyard!" The trap flipped upwards and the space soon was transformed into the space depicted on the card, "And once more thanks to its effect Daedalus gains 200 attack points!" Her dragon now soaked in the enchanted submerged city's water shrieked as it was now in its own element.

 **2900-3100**

"That mere power boost still amounts to nothing!" Akz called out.

"Quit wasting our time already and just admit it! You've lost!" Leilei added feeling impatient.

After hearing their words, a small smirk appeared on Ikuchi's face, "Ever heard the saying, its bad luck to predict a battle before its decided? Ryuga taught me that and I am about to return him the favour by defeating the two of you here and now!" she declared pointing to them.

"What did you say!?" they gasped in disbelief.

"L…lady Ikuchi?" Jilen opened his eyes weekly having been woken up by his mistress' voice of confidence. And looking upon what he was witnessing he couldn't begin to imagine the sheltered child he protected all his life was finally growing into a fine warrior princess!

"I activate my dragon's special ability!" she continued, "By sinking Leumeria and sending it back to the watery grave i can send all cards on the field and in our hands, except for Daedalus himself, with it to the graveyard!"

Both her opponents took a step back, "That will leave us completely wide open!"

"Exactly! Now go Daedalus! Unleash the wrath of the sea!" Upon her command, her sea dragon road and degenerated a powerful tidal wave which washed across the field, completely submerging the city and all stone plates on both sides of the field, with only a small barrier enveloping the teams on opposite ends of the duel field! As the waters receded noting on the field except Neo Daedalus was left.

"How did a little girl accomplish the impossible!?" Akz grunted.

"I..its alright! There's still two of us, even if she attacks at least one of us will survive!" Leilei added choked with fear.

"That's where you're wrong." Ikuchi said.

"What did you say!?" they gasped.

"You came here, threatened me and my friends, with the intention of turning us over to that liar enigma all out of selfish greed, you don't deserve the mercy of another turn. I am finishing you both here and now!" she yelled angrily as she proceeded with her final move, "I banish my **arrowtip swordfish** from my graveyard in order to activate its special ability!" The last monster she had discarded earlier due to Fair exchange reappeared in spirit form.

 **Arrow tip Swordfish, Level 4, Fish, WATER ATK: 1800 DEF: 1200**

"Thanks to its effect, my neo daedalus now gains the ability to attack twice this turn! That means once it strikes you'll lose everything!" she yelled as the swordfish exploded into sparkles and Neo-Daedalus' second head then began to charge a powerful water sphere in its jaws along with the first!

"Nooooo!" they cried together in horror, '"How could our invincible teamwork lose!?"

"You should have known better than to challenge me when I have friends to protect, now Neo-Daedalus! Send them both into the briny deep with maelstrom of mayhem!" she commanded as her dragon unleashed its full fury of the storm straight at both bounty hunters without hesitation or restraint, completely washing them away across the river until they were completely out of sight!

"AAAAAAARRRRGGGHHH!" their screams soon drowned underneath the roaring waters of the river before Neo-Daedalus vanished and Ikuchi deactivated her diadhank.

 **Akz: 2750-0**

 **Leilei: 2600-0**

 **Jilen and Ikuchi: WIN!**

As the waters receded they revealed a completely drenched and wiped out pair of beast warrior bounty hunters lying on the ground. Despite the hits they were dealt, they were much tougher than they looked and was proven as they started to stir and get back up, "Grrrgh! How could we lose so easily, to a little girl on top of that!?" Leilei growled in frustration as he pushed himself up and looking to his partner on the side, "Akz! Let's get out of here while we still can!" he called to the feline sage who had just sat up himself with a huge scowl on his face.

"Hmph! You may have won this battle, but mark my words! We'll be back sooner than you think!" He snarled as they both got up and took off into the woods.

Ikuchi then deactivated her diadhank after disregarding their assailants as soon as they left the area. She then turned her attention towards Jilen who was getting back up on his feet. "Well done my lady, a most impressive display indeed…" he complimented while clapping in praise, "Ryuga has trained you well, and I am certain your father would have been very proud of you, if he were here to see you."

"Thank you Jilen." she replied feeling honoured before returning to the matter at hand, "You aren't hurt badly are you?"

He then smirked before chuckling joyfully, "Ho ho ho! Your concern is most appreciated but unnecessary. I can assure you that it will take much more than a blow like that to cripple me." he replied.

She then smiled in relief, "Phew, at least that's nothing to worry about then." She then turned back to the cabin wondering about my own wellbeing and whether the duel may have woken me up, "I think it's best we go back inside and regroup. When Ryuga wakes up, we'll let him know everything that's happened so far so we can plan our next move."

Her guard then nodded in agreement, "Well said my lady. Come, let us see to our resting friend and hopefully his condition has improved."He said before they both headed to the door.

 **(Ryuga POV)**

As the duel concluded in Ikuchi's stunning victory, I then smiled looking out form the window seeing all was well again. "I told you to have faith in her Ryuga." Bahamut said to me once more as if he knew the outcome of the duel before it even ended.

I nodded in response, "Thanks you guys….I don't know why I ever doubted you at all."

BEEP BEEP BEEP

"Huh?" My ears perked up at the sound, as we all turned we were amazed to see the noise was coming from my duel disk lying on the desk near my bed! "Impossible!" I gasped as I hurried over to it in a flash, ignoring my injuries!

My dragons continued looking on in amazement, "I see and hear it…but…I don't believe it!" Fafnir gasped while the others were completely speechless. For days we tried but couldn't get a call or even a message through to standard due to there being such poor, or should I say no coverage, here in this medieval time. But now….home's found us!

"A signal!? Not to mention a call from LDS!?" I gasped as soon as I looked at the caller, "This could be the lucky break we've been waiting for guys!" I exclaimed to them in immeasurable joy and excitement, finally, a call from home, we'll be able to get home and better yet, call for reinforcements so that we can end this madness once and for all! The thoughts were so exciting I almost forgot about my beeping duel disk.

"Don't just stand there and imagine what we can do! Answer it already!" Tiamat screeched which made me jump in shock!

"Ack! Right!" Doing as she said before our window of opportunity would close! "H…Hello?" I said after picking it up.

There was initial static and interference at the start, but eventually the screen on my duel disk managed to clear up and reveal the speaker on the phone, and I've never imagined I'd be so happy to see who it was at the other end, "BZZZT! Ryu ZZT ga! Come in ZZT! Ryuga! This is Reiji Akaba do you read me!?" The leader of the lancers and head of Leo Corp finally managed to get through to me after all this time. Not that I blame him, even with his incredible skills it's still take him a long while to be able to do so, but I'm definitely not complaining to have him speaking with me.

"I'm here Reiji!" I cried out at the end.

"Thank goodness," he breathed in relief, "Forgive me for taking so long, we've been trying hard to contact you for days now, but each time failed due to the instability of the dimensional barrier between standard and ritual. Only recently we were able to acquire the technology necessary to stabilise and secure a connection, and it's very fortunate it was successful."

"That's good to know," I replied, "Does Yuya or anyone else know about me yet?" I then asked feeling worried.

Reiji paused for a moment before replying back to me reluctantly, "I am sorry but….no they don't. I kept this all a secret since the day it occurred, for I didn't wish to start another panic across Maiami if word were to get out about an unknown dimension and how you were stranded there. Knowing your friends they would no doubt do something rash and out of blind emotion rather than thinking things through….I hope you can understand…" He said feeling somewhat regretful.

"It's fine Reiji." I replied to his surprise.

"Wh…what? You're…okay with me keeping secrets from your friends and family?"

"It's just like you said, if news of this were to get out I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing they will be worrying about me day and night. It'd be for the best as well too….So I'm glad you've been protecting them this whole time….Thank you." I replied gratefully at my end knowing they were still fine at least for now.

"Always caring for the wellbeing of those you care most of more than yourself….I should have known." Reiji thought to himself with a smirk while pushing up his glasses, as if he expected that kind of answer from me.

Another voice soon spoke from the other end, "Sir! I don't wish to rush you but remember-"

"I was getting there Nakajima." Reiji replied to his assistant before returning his attention to me, "Listen Ryuga, we do not have much time. The link we've established now is still unstable and the energy generators won't be able to maintain it for much longer! We won't be able to send anyone over to your end but it does have enough energy to take you and you lone back here to the pendulum dimension!" he said with urgency in his voice, "Quickly activate the crossover function from your end! It will complete the connections from here at LDS so that we will be able to get a lock on your position, therefore allowing us to be able to send you home! You can fill us in on everything that's transpired so far when you return here."

"O….Okay….." I replied almost immediately. I was just about to press, excited that we could finally go home! But then, right at the last second, I realised something, looking outside I saw Ikuchi tending to Jilen. It made me have second thoughts, "Umm Reiji, would it be possible for you to be able to open another portal here in the future?" I asked curiously.

Reiji paused for a short moment before answering, "Unfortunately that would be impossible." he replied, "It has taken every amount of energy and the most powerful resources we could acquire from all 4 dimensions to create a generator with enough power to establish this already weak and unstable connection. But even it is limited in power so this may be the only transfer we will be able to make to this dimension ever. I'm afraid a return may be impossible." he replied feeling mildly regretful at the circumstances.

"Oh….I see….." I said at the other end, before thinking it over. Right now really was my only chance to get back home and be with everyone I missed for so many days, but…if I did that….Jilen and Ikuchi? Would they be alright?

"What are you waiting for Ryuga!?" He yelled, his voice even showing some signs of panic (Something he wasn't known for), "Activate the dimensional transfer button before it's too late!"

I thought to myself a little longer, swallowing hard I made the hardest decision I have ever made in my entire life, "I'm sorry Reiji…but…I can't come back."

"Wh…what?" he breathed in complete shock over my answer.

I turned away from the screen so I wouldn't be tempted anymore, "There's something I really need to finish here. A problem which I bear some responsibility for. I won't be able to explain because it may take too long and we might lose the already unstable and limited connection we've already established by the time I am finished." I then reached out for the end call switch on the duel disk's screen.

"R…Ryuga! What are you doing!?" Reiji gasped, "If you don't do it now, you may never-"

"Don't worry I'll promise to find my way home on my own no matter what it takes." I said interrupting him before smiling back lightly, "But if I somehow don't make it back in the next few days, if this is the end…..Please tell everyone that…I'll never forget them, ever." I said with a heavy heart as I pressed the red button on my duel disk.

"RYUGA!" A final echoing cry from Reiji was the last thing I heard at the end, before my screen went blank again.

BEEP!

I paused for a moment in complete and utter silence, pondering over whether what I did was the right choice or not, till I decided to move on. "Goodbye everyone…." I breathed as I shed a single tear from my eye. Wiping it away I then turned to my friends who were looking downcast themselves. Apparently I wasn't the only one who felt conflicted after hearing Reiji say this was the only time to go home and that I may never have another opportunity, not to mention I could never comeback to this world if did take it….

"I'm sorry guys for giving up our only chance to get out of here…" I said weakly to them, "I know it's hard…but…."

Bahamut then placed his claw on my shoulder compassionately, "We understand how hard it is….But only you and you alone could have made this decision." he said.

"Nevertheless, we shall fully support your decision until the end Ryuga." Jormangandr added trying to cheer me up.

"If you want my opinion, returning home may have been the most logical decision, but….it may not have been the best or right choice." said Fafnir in agreement.

"Ikuchi and Jilen have done so much for us already, it wouldn't be right to just abandon them after coming so far. This is our problem too, so it's our responsibility to fix it, or at least see it to the end." Tiamat said in conclusion.

"You can be sure you won't be doing this on your own. We couldn't be more proud of you to have been so courageous to make such a sacrifice for the sake of others." Bahamut concluded at the end, "We'll find another way home….together. I promise." He vowed and so the others nodded in agreement.

I then shed another tear of joy and smiled lightly, "Thank you, maybe I'm not so alone after all….." I said feeling relieved that at least some link to my old home (Which I might not ever see again) remained with me in this world. After we all placed our hands in a single circle, giving our pledge to finish this once and for all, "Come, let's go help Ikuchi and Jilen out." I said as I headed towards the door, finally getting my priorities straightened out and ready to move on without looking back on what's been done…..

 **As shown here even some duel monsters will have the ability to duel as well, reference to GX. Ryuga has now given up his only chance of returning home, will he and Ikuchi be able to save the entire kingdom from Enigma's evil clutches and help him get back home unscathed? Find out next time and stay tuned!**

 **Feel free to review and PM, hope to hear your take on this story of mine so far and wha you think of it.**

Arrowtip swordfish

During battle between this attacking card and a Defense Position monster whose DEF is lower than the ATK of this card, inflict the difference as Battle Damage to your opponent's Life Points. You can banish this card in your graveyard to target one faceup water monster in attack position you control, it can make a second attack this turn. If it attacks a monster in defence position, you can destroy that monster without applying damage calculation.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"Here Ryuga, drinking this special soup made from the finest herbs from this very forest should help you get some of your precious energy back." Jilen offered kindly as he handed me a bowl of creamy red soup, from the boiling pot at the fire place, after giving one to Ikuchi, who was quietly drinking her fill along with a side of bread at the corner of the room. Right after their duel, both Ikuchi and Jilen returned to the cabin together where the 2 of them began to help tend to my injuries. Fortunately the veteran captain himself was a very experienced and hardy man so he made a much faster recovery than I did. He also filled me in on everything we learnt while he was in Norvagen, and believe me….they weren't good news at all. Not only had Enigma framed me as the villain and portrayed himself a hero, but he even put up a bounty on both my head and the return of Princess Ikuchi, which would no doubt act as a bright flame and attract all sorts of bounty hunters from all over the world. It was a very difficult position the 3 of us were put in, for not only had he branded us as fugitives and outlaws as well as lying to the entirety of Norvagen, now all sorts of mercenaries and assassins, probably even more dangerous than the ones we've faced, would be trying for the reward since it was being spread across the land like wildfire by countless messengers. Frankly I couldn't decide which piece of news was bad or worse.

"Thank you very much Jilen, I really appreciate this." I replied as I humbly accepted it and began drinking it slowly. The soup was definitely delicious as the spices and flavours were gently blended together, which came as bit of a surprise considering that this was prepared by the royal captain himself, who would have thought he'd some skill in the kitchen himself. As I continued to take in each sip with appreciation and taking my stressed mind off my deep thoughts over the whole matter, I couldn't help but feel slightly guilty after seeing how little was leftover in the cooking pot for Jilen himself after working so hard to cook for us only to have me and Ikuchi take up the majority of his efforts.

As sharp as his observation was on the battlefield he quickly took notice of my conflicted feelings and decided to give me assurance that all would be fine, "Do not worry, this is more than enough for me I can promise you." He said as he began scooping up the leftovers in the pot into another bowl fro himself, "Both you and Ikuchi are still young and need more energy, the faster you both regain the quicker we will be able to leave this place."

"L…Leave!?" Ikuchi gasped in shock as she looked up from her food, "But….we only recently settled down here! We can't possible move out now under such short notice!"

I on the other hand closed my eyes and looked down, Jilen was right, after 2 close encounters with bounty hunters in a single day right here at this camp site, no doubt these attacks would only be the tip of the iceberg of what's to come. By now they would have returned to the palace and have given out our location to Enigma himself, and very soon we could see an entire mob of bounty hunters or even a troop of soldiers come out here to look for us….It was only a matter of time….

"Surely you both must realise by now…after what took place today, it's clear as daylight that this will not stop." he replied to a distraught Ikuchi, "Enigma will not rest until he has the entirety of Norvagen in the palm of his hand, and to accomplish that he will need to have recaptured the both of you in order to reestablish his hold on the kingdom. Knowing him, he will stop at nothing until he has succeeded, the only option we are left with, is to leave for a much safer place.

It was one duel after the other and right now, we knew it wasn't going to stop….

"If this cabin has already been found by Akz and Leilei, it will not be long before many more assassins will descend upon us. It was only through sheer luck and our best efforts that we managed to escape by the skin of our teeth, but I fear that luck will soon be running out for us…."

"My lady, I hope you will forgive me for putting you and your friend through this, but I swore to the royal family that I will keep the one true heir to the throne of Norvagen safe from any and all who would dare to harm her. And I will do it by any means necessary, even if I have to sacrifice my own soul to do it." He said to her.

"Jilen…."

I found it really hard to say but eventually I managed to force the words out of my mouth, "As pure and noble as your intentions are Jilen, I don't believe leaving here will make any actual difference to our situation."

Turning to me he gasped, "What?"

"I'm sure deep down, even you know it too and yet you still suggest we try doing it. Not exactly the smartest decision if you ask me." I answered.

My reply caused him to clench his fist angrily and grit his teeth, "You would call protecting you and keeping you safe….an unwise decision!?"

I was worried about his furious expression, but I had to stand up for what I knew was right, retreat was not an option for us and I had to show him why, "Think about it, it was only within a day since we left the palace that we've been discovered. That just shows how relentless and determined Enigma is and how far he is willing to go in order to succeed in his plans. Even if we do somehow manage to escape and find another place to lay low, what's to stop him from trying again? If he found us once no doubt he'll be able to do it again, and we'll just be back to square one. All we'll basically do is run aimlessly until we can't run anymore or until we finally get caught."

He however wouldn't listen as he continued to protest, "You would rather wait here and allow those monsters to capture all of us in one fell swoop!? That would be pure madness and I won't allow it!" He was quite a stubborn man….Once he set his mind to something, unless you were his superior, changing it would not be easy. "You both are coming with me even if I have to drag you both the entire way myself!" He tried to raise his hand and subdue me but fortunately as I covered my face with my hands in response-

"Jilen, you know that Ryuga's right." Ikuchi said to him which made the old veteran stop in his tracks, "As long as Enigma sits upon my father's throne in the kingdom and is sending word of that outrageous reward out to all the corners of the world, there will be no place that we can hide safely for long. No matter where we go, very soon we'll be found out and eventually we'll be dogged at every step of the way." She then sobbed as tears began to well up in her eyes, "To be subjected to this cruel fate….trapped in a cycle of fear for the rest of our lives….It's not fair….Fleeing and fearing for our wellbeing at every waking moment, that isn't something I want any of us to suffer…."

Realising what he had done, he took a few steps back and lowered himself to his knees, "I….You are right….But what else can we do?" He was at a loss of ideas and words. In fact most of us were…..in such a tough position like ours, coming up with a right course of action wouldn't be easy….

I actually had one idea already, in fact it was one that I immediately decided and thought through the moment I cut off Reiji's call earlier this afternoon, as well as my only chance to get back home. There was no turning back from this point, I was going to see this through to the end and free Norvagen from Enigma's lies and clutches, or if not, die trying. Those were the only 2 outcomes from here on and I was going to see either one of the, "This might sound crazy, but I think there may be only one way out of this whole mess, it's a long shot but it's our only hope if we're going to put a stop to this nightmare once and for all."

I then explained what was on my mind and after I finished they were bewildered and astonished beyond belief.

"Wh…what did you say!?" Jilen gasped in alarm. They expected something crazy, but what I responded with was complete madness!

"Think about it, Enigma's the one who started this whole tragedy in the first place, by taking advantage of King Avalon's poisoning and no doubt using it to his advantage. No doubt that entire event was a plot from the start…..and he knew it too." I said, "If we can somehow manage to rescue King Avalon and cure him from whatever has poisoned him, he'll be able to clear our names for sure and then we'll be able restore true peace to the land. Also, we may even be able to expose Enigma for the lies he has been saying to the entire kingdom and people all this time."

"You really think Enigma would actually allow us to do that?" Ikuchi asked doubtfully, "Now that he is the one ruling the kingdom, I highly doubt he would allow anyone to storm into his own stronghold and do as they please, let alone take back the throne from him."

"Of course he's not the kind of man that would listen to reason, which is why we may have to use a little persuasion on him…." I replied seriously as I raised my duel disk arm signalling what I had in mind.

"You plan to wage an attack against Enigma!?" Jilen gasped in disbelief, "He's now the ruler of Norvagen, an assault on him and the palace would only serve to add a true crime to your list of false claims and charges he has held against you!"

"I know I don't like to resort to using force, but under the circumstances we don't have any other choice." I retorted, "We have to fight back and prove to the kingdom that the assassination was all framed and that I'm innocent and that they've all been deceived from the very start, and that the real criminal has been in front of their eyes the entire time!"

"Ryuga may have a point there Jilen…." Ikuchi added vouching me before he could retort again, "At this point I doubt anyone would actually be willing to hear what we have to say, they've been fed so many convincing lies from that….pretender to my family's throne. As much as I hate to to admit it, there really is no other possible way to end this without any conflict or fighting….." she said feeling sad and depressed we were left with only this option.

After thinking it over carefully and realising the truth in our words, the old soldier eventually sighed reluctantly, "My lady…..I suppose you're right….." he said in agreement before heading to the door.

"Jilen?"

"Where are you going?" We asked curiously.

He turned to us, "I'm going back to Norvagen to investigate, last time I was able to infiltrate the kingdom though a secret entrance, which was the same one we used to escape from, if you remember well Princess Ikuchi." He answered, "It's very well hidden especially under the cover of the night, so I highly doubt it has been discovered as of yet. In the meantime the 2 of you should lay low until I return and confirm the situation whether if the situation will be safe to return to."

Before he grabbed the knob I spoke out after realising something immediately, "Wait Jilen," I said stopping him, "By now it's far too risky. Those bounty hunters we managed to fend off today may have already reported our whereabouts to that slime ball Enigma. And after considering all the measures he's taken so far to recapture us, I wouldn't be surprised if he's rallying troops and instilling more panic and urgency in the people so they would join the hunt as well. No way you'll be able to sneak in unnoticed this time around if that were to happen."

Jilen then hissed in frustration knowing what iI was right but then held himself back from yelling, "Then what would you propose then? You said it yourself, we have to return to take the fight to Enigma but we can't simply charge in blindly without knowing what he may have lying in wait for us behind those walls. Also we can't afford to waste any time contemplating a well executed plan of attack, we have to act now!"

"I know….Just…give me time to think for a bit…." I replied back feeling just as frustrated. As important as it was to take time coming up with a good strategy, he was right, we couldn't afford to waste too much time planning. Suddenly I then remembered something that could work, "Actually….I think I might have just the idea….." I said as I turned to my duel disk.

 **(Later)**

Over the night sky, all was silent except for the smooth and silent beating of flapping wings in the air. Flying low over the horizon and as swift as the wind was a small squadron of shadow dragons (Consisting of galaxy stealth dragon, hunter dragon, koumuri dragon, serpent night dragon and infernal dragon) that was put together courtesy of Jormangandr and Tiamat, the perfect team of spies for working under the cover of night and darkness. As they focused hard in front of them, whatever they saw through their eyes was soon being reflected in a dragon's orb that was being watched by the 3 of us back in the cabin!

"This device of yours is most intriguing Lord Ryuga," Jilen complimented as he observed what was being displayed through the orb, "Now we will be able to see long distances through the eyes of your stealthiest spies, without risking any exposure."

"We'll finally be able to check on how the people are faring, and hopefully find out what Enigma may be scheming next….." Ikuchi added with joy and relief, as the kingdom of Norvagen soon came into view on the orb, which showed that the dragons were getting very close to their destination. They suddenly stopped in their flight path as they focused hard in front at the tall gates surrounding the whole kingdom. A number of soldiers and watch guards were patrolling along the line of the walls while fairy archers had taken positions along the borders and corners there. We even could see a pair of large siege towers being erected behind the walls, as a pair of large berserk gorillas were planting catapult turtles at the top of those towers, each armed with an arsenal of boulders and rocks to launch at any incoming aerial attacks.

"Enigma sure has been beefing up security ever since we all escaped…." I commented feeling worried about what we were up against, "Find another way around, and try not to get spotted." I whispered through the orb to which my dragons responded in agreement. Changing their direction they backtracked and flew through the forest or around the cliffside out of enemy sight, using the shadows as cover. As they cicrled around to the back of the kingdom's rear, they took notice of a small group of blade knights, armed with guard dogs keeping watch over the area. "So much for using the secret entrance…." I muttered.

"Hmmm….Perhaps you were right," Jilen admitted, "Had I not heeded your words I would have been discovered and captured by now….I was a fool to think that entrance could have remained hidden forever….."

"We'll need a new way of sneaking in…." Ikuchi added.

"I'll have them look around for an alternate route," I said. Luckily my dragons were downwind so the guard dogs couldn't smell them, so they back tracked several feet away before flying vertically upwards into the air. Taking refuge in the night clouds, staying clear of the moon's light, they glided silently above the walls before slowly descending down into the shadows of the towns. "Alright you guys, split up and look around. Also, investigate anything you find that may be suspicious or of interest." I said as the dragons began to divide and conquer.

 **(Dragon POV)**

While Galaxy stealth dragon headed for the castle, as he was the most stealthy and the palace itself was the most heavily guarded and surveyed area, the others remained and spread out through the streets while maintaining watch from the alleys. From multiple angles we could see that numerous bandits and thieves (Like great angus or goblin attack force) had taken residence at bars or various houses, having driven out previous owners and monsters onto the streets while they continued to throw their weight around or stuff themselves with food and drink. They even went as far as to threaten shopkeepers and owners for protection money and goods, while the guards simply turned a blind eye due to their loyalty to Enigma, even if it was against their own honour. It was disgusting, but what serpent night dragon saw next took things to another level.

We saw a Guardian of the labyrinth tossing a helpless man out from a shanty looking house and onto the streets before a dark blade, captain of the evil world while his family looked on in fear from their house. "This man has been charged with badmouthing the king's honour! We have heard it ourselves! He was disrespecting King Enigma!" The guardian claimed.

"N..No! There's been a mistake!" he cried.

The captain walked over to him on his horse and smirked deviously, "Is that so? That certainly was foolish of you to even harbour such a thought." The dark blade maliciously replied paying no heed to the innocent man, "Such a sharp tongue and insolent mouth must surely be silenced. We can't have even the slightest insult to our Lord Enigma go unpunished."

The man's eyes widened in fear knowing his position now, "No! No! You're wrong! I would never say such things! It was a mistake!" he begged as he fell to his knees pleadingly.

"Save your words for the jailer, you're under arrest!" The captain yelled, "Take him away! Lock him in the dungeon!" He ordered the guardian, who nodded as he began to put on restraints on the legs and hands on the helpless man before knocking him to the ground and dragging him away by rope!

"No please! No!" He cried in fear and pain while being dragged across the stony ground.

"Father!" His young son and daughter cried out.

"Not my husband! Please! I beg of you!" The wife begged as she ran out, only to be halted by the Dark blade's unsheathed sword, which he held out to her throat! Which made her freeze instantly in her tracks and the blood from her face drain away.

"Stay where you are, unless you all would like to join him in prison too!" The captain shouted which made them freeze in their tracks. They looked on helplessly as the man was dragged away in handcuffs and chains towards the castle.

That wasn't the worst of it. As the dragons scoured the city looking for another entrance to use, all around they saw more and more people being oppressed by the guards or bandits, abusing the authority the Enigma had granted them. Some accused of hiding information about the escaped fugitives while others willingly protested and complained against Engima's new plan of action to overrule Avalon's old and traditional ways of peace, and replacing them with fear and force! All of which were captured and dragged away like rag dolls. It was truly heart-wrenching…..

What really took the cake, was when infernal dragon made a backtrack to the old secret entrance that was guarded. There he took notice of a large number of peasants gathered in a straight line. The elite goblin attack force member there began to collect what appeared to be tax money from them before having the stationed guards on the other end open the door. Their were soon lead out into the forest and never seen again, and nearby, a line of other peasants, including unhappy maiden and unhappy girl, were being lead into the direction of the castle's dungeons. After overhearing what they were saying, we soon realised that they were being arrested for being unable to pay the increased tax prices! That certainly was a complete outrage beyond belief, even the inequality and persecution in the synchro dimension was tame compared to this!

 **(Ryuga POV)**

As we saw everything my dragons witnessed, we couldn't believe our eyes. While Jilen said nothing but turned away, I then grit my teeth furiously while Ikuchi teared up with disgust, "How could he do this? To our people!?" she cried suddenly.

"At ease my lady…." Jilen said trying to calm her down before she overreacts.

She then turned to him and glared daggers making him take a step back fearfully, "How can you expect me to stay calm while Enigma sits on my father's throne and oppresses innocent lives!? This is a complete outrage!" she screamed.

"We are well aware of that Ikuchi." I said which made her turn, "I really hate it too, every fibre of my being wants to go down and put a stop to this immediately. But as of now there's nothing we can do but do a full investigation of the situation so we know exactly what to expect and how we should conduct a proper rescue, so please, calm down…." I said gently to her. I was just as furious myself, it's unthinkable Enigma would proclaim himself a hero and yet oppress his own people for the fun of it…it truly was disgusting….but like I said charging in with blind emotion would be reckless and foolish, so for now we had to hold back and analyse the whole matter if we were going to come up with a plan of attack.

Saying nothing in response, Ikuchi then held her head down in defeat, "Alright…." she sighed as we continued to observe through the orb.

 **(Dragon POV)**

As the dark dragons continued to disperse throughout the rest of the town, sticking to the shadows and steering clear of the lit torches so they could avoid being seen, eventually one of them broke away and took to the sky silently before he could be spotted. Noticing a bright window in the castle, Galaxy stealth dragon locked his eyes with his target as he swooped in for a better look. He then flew around to the back window so he could avoid being seen form the front. It was at the throne room and standing on the grand stage was Enigma, who was glaring down upon 5 familiar faces. Masuku, Haga, Zaki, Akz and Leilei, the top 5 assassins in the kingdom, whom he hired to capture me and Ikuchi. When they all returned empty handed he growled with anger so think you could cut through it like a solid piece of butter!

"You….all….FAILED!?" he screamed furiously, "You are the most ruthless, most skilled and accomplished bounty hunters this world has to offer! And you couldn't even capture a measly princess and a snivelling boy!? This is unacceptable!" The sounds of his angered yelling filled the entire hallways as howling rage echoed through the castle!

The 5 bounty hunters shivered and trembled in terror before the Lord of Norvagen, the one they promised to bring the fugitives to in exchange for the reward, but now they were about to face his unbridled wrath!

"F…..Forgive us sir!" Masuku cried out.

"This is merely….a minor setback!" Zaki added.

Enigma however wanted none of what they planned to say, to him, returning back with nothing to show for their failures had pretty much sealed their fates. "I don't want setbacks! I want results! I wanted that princess and dragon tamer right here today!" He screamed as his entire face flashed a deep crimson red as he yelled at the top of his lungs. He then breathed heavily from exhaustion before lowering his head, as a shade soon covered his eyes, "I ordered you to capture 2 fugitives, mere children to be exact, that could easily threaten my….I mean THE kingdom of Norvagen, and you return with…..nothing…." he said softly, yet his tone was more than enough to send chills down their spines! The malicious intent they once showed while hunting us was now replaced by outright terror, "If there is one thing I will NOT tolerate more than anything else, it's failure!" He screamed before suddenly giggling manically, "Hehehehe! You are all of no more use to me, therefore, prepare to be dismissed!" Raising his staff suddenly, 5 card erupted from the ground and began to generate vacuum portals that began to suck the 5 bounty hunters into them!

Their eyes widened with fear as the blood soon rushed from their faces, "Noooo!"

"Have mercy!"

"Please stop! We beg of you!" Unfortunately for them, their pleas and begging fell on non-existent ears as the card slates absorbed them completely!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" Their final cries died away in the wind like phantoms. Soon they were nothing but ancient depictions on the cards themselves, and we looked on in horror back from our cabin at the event which just took place. We knew he had the power to seal monsters into stone, but now he can do so with humans as well!? That's taking it too far! Ikuchi then buried her face in Jilen's arms not wanting to look anymore, while the both of us continued to observe carefully.

"Hmph! The most ugliest cards I have ever created Such garbage has no place in my personal collection." Enigma scoffed in disgust as a Fiend mirror and Chakra appeared before him, "Dispose of them, I never want to lay my eyes on such vile sights ever again." He ordered as the 2 ritual fiend monsters used their psychic abilities to lift the cards and transport them away to the dungeon where they would be locked away forever and never see the light of day again. After being left alone, Enigma then walked walked around in circles in deep thought and frustration.

He then sneered furiously at the thought of not being given he respect and acceptance he wanted by the people ever since he took control, "These people, I gave them protection from the monsters that ravaged their homes, shielded them, gave them technology and helped them to prosper more than Avalon or the royal family ever could. But do they appreciate what I've done or show me the respect I deserve? No, they whine and complain!" He growled before grinning maliciously, "Well no more, for tomorrow at dawn that all ends!" He then shouted as he took his staff and walked out to the balcony and looked over the kingdom and towns that lay before his gaze. "After I give them a demonstration of my own power over the monsters, I shall awaken them from their ridiculous delusions back to reality, using an old nightmare from their past! Flattening half the town or so with the very monsters they so very much feared, should be more than enough to break their feeble spirits and make them remember where their place in life is!" He proclaimed, "At least long enough until I finally establish a permanent hold on the kingdom! And to do that…."

He then looked to his staff as it opened up and revealed the chaos crystal within it. It then generated a mirror portal which depicted Leviathan's stone tablet on the other side, "Once I've recovered the princess and make both her power and the goddess' my own, as well as eliminate that wretched pest Ryuga once and for all, there will be no stopping me from ruling my almighty empire with an iron fist! I'll mobilise the greatest army of man and monsters this world has ever known, I'll march them across every country and kingdom, conquering everything and everyone who would be foolish enough to dare stand in my way! Then, all shall fear the might of Emperor Enigma! Hahahahahahaaha!" He laughed maniacally as a new and terrifying brainchild of a plan was being born inside his dark mind. Galaxy stealth dragon had been put off by the sight and so left the area not wishing to remain a second longer in the presence of the maniacal sage.

 **(Ryuga POV)**

We then stared blankly at the orb, trying our best to process everything we had just witnessed first hand, a diabolical plot about to be put into action first thing in the morning tomorrow, with the entire world at stake…we certainly didn't have a lot of time on our hands.

"I can't believe he would do such a thing…..Desecrating the honour of the royal army by unifying it with countless bandits and criminal monsters is one thing, to not only oppress innocent people, but also to rule the entire world!?" Jilen gasped in outrage, "Not only that, he also plans on destroying entire towns and countless innocent people, and even to corrupt our beloved goddess Leviathan to use for evil!? This is madness!"

"If he goes through with this….No one will ever be safe…." Ikuchi breathed having overheard the entire statement despite not watching any of it. (Couldn't blame her though….to see such things firsthand would easily crack the purest of hearts ad gentlest of souls) "How could he….I can't….I…." She gasped in disbelief and horror at what he had planned.

I then slammed my fist on the table, "That settles it, we're not going anywhere. We have to stop him once and for all." I said decisively, "Tomorrow morning we take back Norvagen, take down Enigma and put and finish this fight. End of story."

"I agree with you Ryuga. That swine must pay for everything he has done since the very start." Ikuchi replied with a face brimming with resolve and determination, "It's time we stopped hiding and sneaking around altogether, I say we go and knock on the front door!"

"Princess….."

She then turned her face to her concerned bodyguard, "Say what you want Jilen, but I will not turn my back on my people who need me more than ever." she said, "This subjugation can not go unpunished, we must do something to save them and I won't let anyone stop me from trying!"

Jilen then lowered his head in submission to her bold statement, "For a long time your father told me to watch over the scared and frightened child that was his daughter," He then raised his head which revealed a proud smile to our surprise, "Now that time has long passed, I can see you are now old enough and strong enough to decide for yourself, and whatever choice you make I shall stand firm by your side to the end. And, I can see that the choice you've just made couldn't be more right." He then kneeled down as a knight pledging his loyalty, "I am ready to serve you….Queen Ikuchi."

"Th…thank you Jilen," she breathed as tears of joy fell from her eyes and onto the cabin floor.

It was a very touching moment indeed, with this new faith in her I'm sure Ikuchi would grow up to be a fine duelist and queen someday….Yet it still didn't change the fact about the matter at hand, "But still….." I said as I scratched my chin, "If we are going to wage an attack against Enigma while he has Norvagen in his grasp, we must be smart about this…."

"I agree…." Jilen added as he walked over to the dragon orb and observed the large masses of royal guards and enforcers crawling about in the towns. Along the kingdom gates and walls, archers and defences were being installed and amounted around every corner with guards patrolling them as well as supervising their operations, making the peaceful kingdom look more like an impregnable fortress, "With guards and lookouts on almost every post it'll be impossible to sneak back in…." He said observing it all carefully.

"We'll also need a diversion if we're going to have any chance at weakening the enemy ranks to allow us a better chance at getting through." Ikuchi said out loud.

"You can leave that to me." I said volunteering to their surprise.

"You Ryuga? But how?" Ikuchi asked curiously.

"You saw it with your own eyes," Jilen added feeling concerned that I may be overconfident in myself, despite being the strongest of us 3, "When it comes to numbers it is without question that we are vastly outnumbered and no doubt outmatched, not only by the kingdom's already present army, but also with the vast new forces that Enigma has no doubt assembled within the last few days." He said feeling worried.

I then smiled in response, "Let's just say I know exactly where to get the extra muscle we need to pull this off." I replied while eying my duel disk, "Trust me." Looking up to them I then asked if any of us had a map of the surrounding area and of Norvagen, as we began to long night of planning for the day of reckoning.

 **(The next morning)**

As the sun stretched across the horizon and bathed the land in its light, it soon began to illuminate the great plains, forest and eventually the kingdom of Norvagen. Looking out from the palace balcony, Enigma smirked to himself seeing as the day had finally arrived, and the day his reign will finally begin! "Ahhh….Dawn….Perfect. The beginning of a new age and a new world now awaits….." he said to himself with a malicious grin as he looked below, where the great armies of Norvagen were soon mobilising together for a global conquest of the world.

Divided into 3 groups the first was made of a medium sized fraction light infantry human soldiers mixed with command knights and blade knights armed with spears and bows. A second smaller but stronger force was made of veteran warriors on horses armed with heavy armour and long lances, but was also mixed together with doomcaliber knights, elite goblin attack force, archfiend soldiers, boar soldiers and lizard soldiers. Finally, the largest faction was made out of the most powerful and vicious monsters ever which were to act as both defenders of the home frontier as well as to be kept in reserve for emergencies. These also consisted of bounty hunters and criminals whose loyalty was either bought or coerced by Enigma himself, who would show no mercy in battle against anyone who would dare threaten their master. Monsters that made up that group included green baboon defender of the forest, ancient crimson ape, yellow baboon archer of the forest, behemoth king of all animals, along with powerful long range attacking monsters such as Chakra or fiend's mirror. With a Mefist the Infernal general and the same dark blade, the captain of the underworld, organising them and making sure they kept their formations tight and impenetrable.

If the ground forces weren't enough, an air force was also beginning to be mobilised by sky scouts-which consisted of Whiptail crows, rye kishin, ryu kishin powered and a number of other flying monsters to fend off any attacks that may come in from the air. The entire army was a formidable fighting force trained to fight flawlessly on all terrains and at any cost, anyone foolish enough to face them would be eliminated in seconds. As of now the townsfolk were all safely locked up within their homes and not a single one stepped out onto the streets as the Army was soon about to move out.

Seeing that his forces were fully assembled, Enigma then smirked to himself seeing that his years of long planning were finally about to bear fruit and soon his conquest of the rule would become a reality! "Now it begins….."

"Master Enigma!" A voice suddenly shouted out of nowhere.

"Hmmm?" He then looked behind him to see one of his servants hurrying in. Seeing who it was he then scoffed at the thought it was supposed to be something important, "What do want Prometheus?" He asked uninterestedly as he walked around to the tea table.

The red sage then kneeled down before him, "Master! I have just received urgent news from the scouts that we dispatched last night! They say it's something you should hear out right now!"

Thinking for a moment, "Hmm….Very well, you may speak." He replied calmly as he began serving himself a cup of warm brew.

"They have just returned with news about that dragon tamer known as Ryuga! Apparently he is on his way here now, leading a small army towards Norvagen's front gates! Apparently we can assume that he's planning an attack on us right now!"

Enigma's eyes widened suddenly as he then spat out his tea, "What!?" he exclaimed before furiously glaring at his servant and then grabbing him by the collar and lifting him up, "Surely you lie!"

"I do not! I swear this is true!" Prometheus gasped while begging for mercy. Reaching into his cloak he then pulled out an ancient telescope, "Take this and see for yourself master! Ack!" He gasped as Enigma took the glass from his hand and dropped him hard onto the ground.

"Yes, I think I will." He said as he headed back onto the balcony and looked through the glass across the gates and over the hills. What he saw through the telescope came as an unexpected sight. Approaching the kingdom from across the hills was a small infantry of dragon foot soldiers which consisted of soldier dragon, troop dragon, axe dragonute, lancer lindwurm and lancer dragonute. Leading them was the powerful dragon tamer, Ryuga Shirogane, who rode on board a Kaiser dragon and their forces were soon approaching the castle walls. Each of the ground forces were equipped with dragon shield (Which I used to ensure none of them would get severely hurt in the battle), and a handful of the dark attributed dragons were also equipped with dragon nails as an extra insurance, while others were using dragon treasure instead.

The sight came as an initial surprise to him, but it soon was replaced with a devious grin on his face, "Oh? Has he finally decided to make a move against me? Hehehe! This is most fortunate for us and just what we have been waiting for." He chuckled in amusement.

"Sir? What exactly do you mean?" Prometheus questioned curiously as he approached his master with caution.

Turning to him with a confident smirk, "Don't you see Prometheus!? We've wasted precious time and resources searching for him, and now he is sparing us the trouble by coming straight to me." He said, "If he is heading here then no doubt the princess must be with him, no doubt the both of them are hoping to rescue that feeble shell of a fool Avalon. A mistake that will cost them both most dearly….." he finished with a devious grin.

"What shall we do about her sir?" His servant asked after acknowledging his plan.

"Not much actually," he replied to his surprise, "That foolhardy boy is practically handing her over to me and sparing us the trouble of having to search vast distances for her. All he has done is bring my victory all the more closer to realisation!" He then turned around once more and looked through his telescope, "For you to even think of attacking me and my stronghold on my day of triumph, either you are foolish or reckless."He chuckled to himself enjoying the moment, "Still your feeble efforts amuse me dear boy, and since I'm feeling unusually generous today I'll play along with your little game. Let's see how well you handle yourself and I hope that you at least put up a bit of a meaningless struggle before I crush you and your feeble hopes into dust right under my heel. Oh how I can't wait to see the look of utter despair in your eyes after it's completely gone. Hehehehe….." He then turned towards Prometheus who patiently awaited his orders, "Prometheus, you shall lead the first wave of the assault and directly engage this…'invasion' in close quarter combat." he instructed, "Defend the perimeter of the kingdom and ensure that none of them breakthrough the walls or even get past your ranks. Once their forces begin to buckle and weaken, I shall have Pandora send in the second wave, which should be more than enough to exterminate them once and for all."

"As you command master. We shall not fail you." His servant bowed in respect as he took his leave.

After he left, Enigma once more took a look through his ancient telescope and saw the approaching ground dragon forces being lead by Ryuga on top of a flying dragon equipped with dragon shield. He then narrowed his eyes suspiciously looking through the glass, "Still…..after eluding me for so long and for the superb skill you've displayed in being able to defeat some of the best bounty hunters this world has to offer, I suppose it would be foolish of me to believe this simple and reckless plan of attack would be best you may come up with or if rescuing the king may be your only aim." Lowering it down he then smiled menacingly as new scheme was being hatched up in his own twisted mind, "Perhaps I should see to it that I have a contingency strategy in the event I am correct and should you somehow manage to overcome my forces. You may think that because you hold the power to control multiple unknown summoning methods you would have the advantage, but you couldn't be more wrong." He then took his staff which lay on a nearby chair and began to walk out of the room down the dark hallways, "Very soon, your greatest straight shall be your very own undoing…hehehe.…". He chuckled to himself as he soon disappeared from sight.

 **(Ryuga POV)**

"Well here we are…." I said to myself as we soon neared the kingdom gates and walls, which stood about a football field's length away from where we were, "Okay everyone, operation soaring dragon is now underway." I said to not just my forces but also my inner selves. (Thanks to Jin and Nushi's advice, we were able to put together both a well thought out rescue plan which would require everyone's contribution, as well as the right troops for the right task. Yamata also offered other back up strategies so that we could be flexible and be prepared just in case anything unexpected happens in the chaos we were about to create!)

I soon noticed the archers on the walls catching sight of us and were preparing to take aim, while the siege towers were just beginning to load up their catapult turtles for attack! My dragon troops soon armed themselves for battle, "First order of business, take out the wall defences." I thought to myself as I had a handful of my dragons step forward from my army and take position best they could while avoiding range of the archers. As the fairy archers and human bowmen began to take aim from their posts at the walls, I then played dragon's gunfire, which caused them all to generate fireballs in their jaws and blasted them straight at the archers! Seeing the incoming strikes all the archers leapt off their positions in fear as the fireballs blew up their posts!

BOOM!

In response the siege towers along with their posted catapult turtles began launching their arsenal of boulders! Fortunately thanks to their armour, the worst my forces felt was a mild headache after being bombarded by them! "Air raid! Commence!" As I commanded, a flock of my exploder dragons took to the air after hiding within my ground troops before dropping their bombs at the enemy towers, as soon as they exploded on contact, the siege towers began to collapse and fall like dominos! Crashing down heavily and taking down the catapult turtles with them!

After the towers toppled over, the main gates opened and I narrowed my eyes while bracing for a brutal battle awaiting us. As expected, a swarm of foot soldiers and ground knights charged out and yelling loud battle cries at the top of their lungs, and we were prepared to meet them head on!

"Alright everyone! Charge!" I called out as we moved in to engage the enemy! I stayed in the air and had Kaiser dragon fire off multiple blasts at the enemies who came out from the gates. Any forces that got past my line of fire were immediately engaged my the troops below! Thanks to them all being equipped with dragon shield, the enemy weapons barely made so much as a dent on my monsters or even shattered on contact! Despite being outnumbered, it was safe to say we were still on even footing as my forces were pretty much indestructible! I had no intention of drawing serious blood or taking lives in this battle since many of them were only misled or obeyed out of fear, so made sure to have my monsters disable or incapacitate them by attacking their limbs or paralysing them by crippling certain parts of their bodies. (Courtesy of Jin who knew how to show proper mercy to those who deserved it)

As the battle continued to drag out, eventually the royal army began to lose energy as my dragons continued putting the pressure on them all! Suddenly the sound of a horn could be heard from the kingdom as the castle gate opened up and unleashed a horde of more menacing monsters such as battle ox and battle steer and the other soldier monsters! They all mobilised as a single attack group and charged forward to the plain where we were fighting! I then narrowed my eyes, the second wave had just been unleashed, which meant phase 2 was about to begin, "Just like Jilen said….He was keeping his stronger forces in reserve…." I thought to myself seeing the hordes of stronger monsters charge out from the gate! Now it was time for phase 2 to begin, "That's our queue everyone! Fall back now!" Upon my command we all denied them a fight and retreated to the hills and mountains on the far side of the land. Thinking we were retreating and seeing it as an opportunity the enemy forces joined together into one large attack force before charging after us!

"We have them on the run!"

"Cut them down and the battle will be ours!"

"Don't let them escape!"

"For Lord Enigma!" They all shouted as they charged after us confidently over the hilly landscape. I then smirked to myself as it was like luring a moth with a flame. As soon as we all pulled up to where the hills were and disappeared behind them, the enemy forces charged onwards fearlessly thinking they had us cornered at the base of the large mountains we backed ourselves into….But boy were they wrong….

Once they began to appear over the hilltops, they had fallen right where I wanted them, "Gotcha!" I then played a series of trap cards which I had set on the field and then activated them from my duel disk! First, a giant trap hole opened up which then swallowed up a large number of ground forces that came close! Then, a series of normal trap holes and adhesion trap holes opened in the ground which further lowered the number of enemies incoming from the hills! The sounds of screams and wails soon echoed throughout the hills as more and more began to fall into the holes Jilen and I planned out the night before.

"AAAARRRGGGHH!"

(Tiamat really wanted us to use chasm of spikes or bottomless trap hole for this stage of the plan, or even a virus trap card, but we all decided that we would only immobilise or incapacitate our enemies, not kill, to her disappointment.)

Too bad they only looked up at who they were fighting and not where the battle took place. If it wasn't for Jilen and Ikuchi's advice in using the terrain to safely immobilise them instead of brutally assaulting them, this wouldn't have been possible. Finally, I used the spell fissure to make a tear in the ground between me and the approaching enemies which caused them to back away cautiously! As we revealed ourselves hiding from among the hills around us, the enemy forces had the surprise of their life! I had a number of my more powerful dragons like strong wind dragon, tiger dragon, tyrant dragon and chthonian emperor dragon reveal themselves from their hiding spots in the hills and forests, as we were prepared to turn the tide of battle once more! They then took a few steps backwards realising they had been played from the very start!

"Now! Attack!" I commanded as my dragons roared ferociously, mobilised together with my earlier ground troops and began to fire a counterattack of breath attacks and charges! While most of the enemy troops were blown back by beams and flames, others were knocked over or trampled by heavier attacks from cave dragon, backland fire dragon, rare metal dragon or golem dragon. We soon noticed an approaching aerial attack force (Consisting of winged beasts and other flying monsters like manticore of darkness or ryu kishin powered) approaching from the castle, and the knights cheered believing they would soon have the upper hand with sky forces! Once again they were sorely mistaken…

As they prepared to swoop down at us, a sudden stream of fire blasted out from the mountains which made them stop in their tracks! As they turned to its origin they were horrified to see a pack of even more powerful dragons take flight from the mountain and charge at them (Consisting of dragons with over 2500 attack points like dark horus, dark armed dragon, felgrand dragon, tyrant dragon and white night dragon) The fight became even more one sided as they started firing at the aerial squads and on the forces below! Fortunately I told them to hold back and use their weakest strength attacks so that we wouldn't destroy them. Most enemies knocked out of the sky fell down unconscious while my ground forces resorted to simple physical attacks to knock them out of commission such as tail swipes off their horses or simple ramming and biting.

Realising that they had no hope of winning, the dark blade captain and mefist the infernal general issued the sounds of retreat, "We are heavily outmatched! We can't win this!"

"We must retreat! Fall back behind the gates now!"

As they began to fall back and retreat back to the kingdom, we chased after them and soon with their sudden pull back the momentum was shifting in our favour, as we continued to dwindle their numbers slowly from the rear with continued strikes to their rear guard! As they all disappeared behind the castle gate, it then changed into a monster form (Castle gate) which was soon reinforced by a pair of golem sentries which added their defence to it. Behind the gate, the enemy forces tried to recuperate and rearm themselves hoping the gates would buy them time to launch a counterattack, as well as loading a massive wave motion cannon behind it.

We soon arrived at their doorstep and I scoffed at the simple defence they set up again us, "They think a couple of doors are supposed to stop us?" Taking a couple of cards from my deck, I soon realised it was time to bring in the big guns!

"Debris dragon! Come forth!" The small version of stardust dragon appeared with a low growl, "Tune with exploder dragon now!" Upon my command both dragons took to the air as debris dragon changed into 4 rings for exploder dragon to fly through, "The ruler's shouts echo throughout! Hammer of victory, shatter the very earth! I Synchro Summon! Flap your wings! Level 7! Exploder dragonwing!" The large grotesque dragon appeared and landed before the door with a menacing snarl! "Now for dragon fighting spirit! Go! Blast down those walls with dragon bombing blast!" Exploder dragonwing then roared as it charged forward and unloaded its special ability which caused a massive explosion! Obliterating the reinforced doors and creating a massive explosion of fire and dust which punched straight through into the town!

BOOM!

As everyone behind was disoriented and coughing from the smoke, I seized the opportunity to turn it up a notch! I threw out a number of tuners (Magna drago and dread dragon for instance), activated a number of fusion spells and even overlaid my monsters as bright lights emanated from where I was. As the dust cleared, a number of my extra deck dragons like first of the dragons, kachi kochi dragon and trident dragion had joined my ranks in place of my weaker dragons as they all charged in and joined the fight!

"They've broken through the gates!"

"We have no choice now! Engage them!" The commanders ordered as the armies had no choice but to retaliate against the invading dragons! "Don't let them get near the palace! Protect our master!" Chaos soon flooded the streets of the kingdom as war broke out on all sides! My dragons fighting back by smashing enemies into the walls or nearby buildings or getting attacked themselves! The use of cards such as stamping destruction or wingbeat of giant dragon also added to the battle and intensified the situation! Fires broke out in the fighting and many townsfolk were used the opportunity to flee the scene and headed for the safety of the hills and forests! In this scuffle, a burst breath stream from fiend skull dragon swept across the square and destroyed the front doors of the Norvagen city prison, and then released the arrested innocents back into the streets where they reunited happily with their families before escaping to safety.

I narrowed my eyes with regret at destroying several innocent homes and buildings in the crossfire as well as endangering several innocent lives, but it was a risk I had to take if we were going to move on to phase 3, "Come you guys….please hurry…." I thought to myself worried as I had kaiser dragon fly me over the destruction straight towards the palace.

 **(Meanwhile)**

At the rear end of the kingdom, a pair of blade knights stood guard over the secret passage that was once used by Ikuchi and Jilen during their escape. At first they appeared to be standing firm and unwavering in their duty as royal knights, but underneath their helmets they were less than enthusiastic about their jobs, "Yawn.…I'm so bored. I bet even watching paint dry would be more entertaining than this…." One yawned.

"Be quiet you." His partner replied feeling annoyed, "We've been given a task by the higher orders to guard this area and make sure no one gets in! So stop whining and do your job you slacker!"

"Tch! You're one to talk!" The lazy knight growled, "You act all high and noble, but just a moment ago you were drinking bottles of vintage wine like there was no tomorrow! You're no better than me!"

"Why you…."

Before the 2 of them could get into a fist fight, a third blade knight soon ran in on the scene and interrupted their squabble, "You! Both of you!" he yelled which caught their attention.

"Huh? What is it?" they asked cursory turning to the newcomer.

"Haven't you heard the alarm horn moment ago!?" The third knight yelled in frustration, "

"Dragons have invaded the kingdom and are now overwhelming all of our forces at this very moment! They're needing all soldiers at the front this instant!" he cried frantically which came as a shock to the 2 guards.

"R..Really!?" The first knight cried before raising his fist in excitement, "Alright! Finally some action!"

"You idiot!" The second one yelled as he slapped him across the helmet making him spin dizzily! "Have you forgotten about our post!? We're supposed to stay put here and make sure no one gets by us and into the kingdom!"

"You're the idiot here!" The third knight growled as he did the exact same thing to the loudmouthed knight!

SMACK!

"OWWW!"

"What good will guarding a back door do if our frontlines are taking heavy fire from a flight of dragons!? Use your head!" He yelled, "Besides! No one would be stupid enough to enter the kingdom while there's a dragon attack! Now come on!"

"Alright! Alright! Sheesh…." All 3 knights then trotted off and left their posts to join the battle inside.

Nearby hiding in the bushes, Jilen and Ikuchi emerged out of hiding and stepped out into the open for a better look. "Hmmm…it appears they're gone now." Jilen commented focusing hard on the 3 knights as soon as they disappeared from view, he then turned to the princess, "My lady, now's our chance! Let's move!

"I'm right behind you Jilen!" she replied firmly as they both pushed the rocky passage open and they hurried through inside, "Ryuga's plan worked….Just like we knew it would…." she thought to herself.

 **(Flashback)**

"A game?" Ikuchi and Jilen asked after I compared the whole battle plan to one.

"That's right," I answered with a nod, "You see in war both sides take turns trying to anticipate the other's moves and strategies, therefore each course of action may lead to different results or outcomes depending on who you play against. In fact, the same idea is used in duelling or even in a simple game of chess, and the main objective is to not let yourself get defeated while trying to take over your opponent's side." I explained as both my allies nodded understanding my logic, "Knowing Enigma, he's more than likely to treat every one of his forces as disposable pawns that can be sacrificed and replaced as easily as sheets of paper. So we can expect him to be utilising a large number of weaker ground forces to be the first line of defence or maybe even a distraction while he utilises stronger ones in reserve for guarding or as a counterattack once the first wave has done its part. We can also assume he won't hold on to anyone or anything once they've served their task."

"That definitely sounds like something Enigma would do…." said Ikuchi in agreement.

"I quite understand where you are going with this….frankly your deductive skills are just as impressive as both your resolve and abilities in duelling." Jill complimented impressed.

Ikuchi then began to feel insecure, "But still-"

"I know Ikuchi," I said noticing her worry, "The difference is that the stakes are very real, however, unlike Enigma I consider every one of my pieces to be replaceable." I said which surprised her, "Each one of us has a valuable role to play in this and I intend to use each and every one of the forces available to us to their absolute best.

"I agree my Lord," Jilen said out loud, "And I for one accept your leadership." He then kneeled down as he would before a higher authority, "You can be assured that I will follow through with whatever battle plan you have in mind with full confidence and faith."

"I too will follow as well." Ikuchi added at the end.

"Glad you both are on board with this." I said feeling glad to have their cooperation and support, "Alright, here's the plan-"

 **(Present)**

As soon as they made it out to the other end, they looked upon the massive destruction and fighting which raged across the town square and seeing so many people and monsters being thrown into disarray and panic with so many invading dragons attacking at once! "It would seem Ryuga's plan to get the attention of the entire Norvagen army and have them all focus their resources and energy on him and his dragons while we sneak past them, is proceeding just as we planned…." Jilen commented while Ikuchi nodded reluctantly.

"Yes….it would seem…" Jilen noticed she harmed conflicted feelings and worry about this part in the plan so he leaned down to her and comforted her with a pat on the shoulder.

"I know what you worried about, the safety people and the kingdom's well being correct?" he asked to which she responded with a small nod, "Rest assured, Lord Ryuga would never bring himself to harm anyone deliberately. We can be certain he is showing as much self-restraint as he can, he knows that there are many innocents here being imprisoned so he is also using this attack as an opportunity for them to escape, as well as minimising as much collateral damage as possible." He said kindly, "I promise we will be able to undo all this damage when this is finished, now come! Otherwise we shall miss our chance!" He then said seriously to which she nodded strongly.

Turning to the front of them and keeping to the giant wall, the 2 of them began running as fast as they could towards the white palace in front which forth lately wasn't breached yet by the attack, hopefully it could stay that way if possible. "I sure hope Ryuga knows what he's doing….." Ikuchi thought to herself worried about my safety and for the wellbeing of the people as she observed the chaos and destruction flourishing around her in the battles raging throughout the kingdom and hearing the echoing cries of fear and panic, as they ran. She then shook her head, "No! I can't worry about that now. Of course he does! I just know it! Also, we'll fix everything as soon as this over!"

"We're almost there my lady! Don't stop!" Jilen shouted as the palace came into the view and when he noticed Ikuchi seemed distracted somehow.

"Huh!? R..Right of course!" She said as she snapped out of her thoughts. Unfortunately for her, she didn't see where she was going and she ended up tripping over an uneven tile in the road and fell forward, "ACK!" she cried s she landed on the ground!

"My lady!" Jilen gasped in horror as he ran back to retrieve her. Helping her up he noticed a small scrape against her knee, "Are you alright? Would you like me to carry you myself?" he asked with concern.

Ikuchi however stood up and shrugged it off as if it was nothing, "There's no need, I'm fine."

"Very well then…" Jilen replied respecting her decision.

Before they could make a move however, their progress was immediately noticed by a squad of rallying troops who were passing by when one of them noticed them in the distance! "Hey look! Over there! It's the princess!" As soon as that one blade knight made the call, the others soon followed as they soon surrounded both people against the wall in a semicircle formation!

"Halt!"

"By order of Lord Enigma! You are both to be taken into immediate custody!

"Any further resistance will not only be futile, but will be met with extreme force!" As they finished one of them whistled and the sounds of quaking footsteps soon approached. Appearing onto the scene was a Behemoth, King of all animals who landed with a mighty crash and let out a terrifying roar! Freezing Ikuchi and Jilen against the wall! "Surrender this instant! Or face the might of Norvagen!" The behemoth then walked in, snarling menacingly as foul saliva dripped from its jaws.

"Tch! It appears we're surrounded on all sides…." Jilen grunted in annoyance as the guards came at them and continued to box them in even more into the castle wall behind them. "My lady, maybe it's time we used….that." He suggested to his mistress.

"I'm on it." Ikuchi replied with a nod as she reached into her bag and took out a flute of summoning dragon.

 **(Flashback)**

"Oh and one more thing," I said after we had finished putting together our strategy. I then took out a card from my trunk and activated it with my duel disk, causing it to materialise as the flute of summoning dragon, "Here take this, but try not to use it, unless it's an emergency." I said as I handed it to Ikuchi.

"Is this….a horn?" she asked looking at it carefully, "It looks quite valuable."

"A flute to be exact." I corrected.

"Why would you give us a musical instrument at a time like this? And an unusual looking one at that." Jilen asked curiously with a raised eyebrow, "While I do comprehend the importance and significance of music, I highly doubt it would do any good in a raging battlefield." he said feeling doubtful.

"Actually that's exactly what I have in mind, I won't tell you what it is though, it's a surprise!" I said with a bright smile to their confused expressions, "Believe me, its better if you try it out for yourselves tomorrow. In fact, the moment you both get into any kind of trouble or interference on the way to the palace, just blow it and help will arrive in a few moments." I added assuringly.

"You make it sound so simple." Ikuchi said feeling unsure of my claims.

"Oh believe me, it's even more simple than you guys think." I replied to them with another bright and confident smile on my face.

 **(Present)**

"Here goes." Ikuchi said to herself remembering my instructions, "He told us not to use it except in an emergency, and this definitely qualifies as one. Please work…." She prayed as she took a deep breath before blowing into the horn which let out an echoing sound across the area. For a while nothing happened, but as Behemoth took a step forward, a part of the wall they were at was suddenly smashed down! As the dust cleared everyone took a step back in horror to see a massive five headed dragon emerge from the dust and let out a nightmarish shriek! Ikuchi and Jilen took cover near the barracks they were near, now knowing that the flute of summoning dragon really did live up to its name! The dragon then took a few steps forward, setting out a few tremors in its footsteps as the guards stumbled back in fear!

"D…Don't just stand there! Attack!" One of them commanded Behemoth, which cowered on fear at the sight of the colossal dragon before charging forward recklessly! The dragon effortlessly grabbed it with a single hand claw before tossing away across the town like a rag doll before setting its sights on the men who ran fleeing for their lives as it chased after them hungrily!

Ikuchi and Jilen stepped back out amazed at what they just witnessed, "Perhaps you should let me hold on to that. for safe keeping my lady…" Jilen suggested worried at the power that flute possessed, worried Ikuchi may accidentally misuse it. She wanted to hold on to it but then relented, but before she could do so, a large tri-horned dragon suddenly burst out of a nearby house and landed on the ground in front of them with a loud growl!

"EEEP!" she gasped as she fell backwards Jilen put himself in between the vicious beast and the princess!

"Stand back my lady! I shall deal with the beast!" He said as he stepped forward and was about to unsheathe his diadhank against the dragon! "Prepare to perish foul beast!" he declared as the dragon snared viciously.

Ikuchi took a step back nervously but after taking another look at the dragon she then stopped him in time, "Jilen wait! Stand down! He's with Ryuga!" she cried as she stepped in between him and the dragon.

"What!? Are you sure about this?" he gasped in disbelief.

She nodded, "Yes I am quite certain." As she walked slowly towards the vicious looking dragon's face, she then began to rub its snout gently, to which it responded with licking her face. "Hee hee hee! That tickles stop!" she giggled as the dragons warm but moist tongue continued to brush against her face. "Oh my you're a friendly one aren't you." she giggled to Jilen's bewilderment. Tri horn then jumped around excitedly and wagged its tail before lowering itself to the ground, "Do you want us to get on?" Ikuchi asked curiously finding its behaviour to be most peculiar for a vicious monster. The dragon then nodded and let out a low growl in response, basically answering as a yes, "Okay then…" She replied as she got on its head, "Come on Jilen! It's time we made a move of our own now!"

"Y..yes of course…" he replied reluctant;y climbing onto the dragon's back.

"Princess Ikuchi,"

"Yes Jilen?" she replied to Jilen's call.

"Remind me never to question Lord Ryuga's judgement and unconventional tactics. His creativity and unconventional methods clearly have no limits and many possibilities….." he muttered.

"Noted." She replied in agreement seeing that there may be method to my seemingly mad strategies after all….

 **(Ryuga POV)**

"Phew we made it!" I breathed as I soon made it to the palace and we flew over the gates, "Now to find the others….Hope they haven't ran into any trouble…." I thought feeling worried as we began circling the agreed meeting spot while waiting for our allies to arrive. "Ikuchi! Jilen!" I then called out from above hoping to get a response from them. For a while nothing happened while the battles raged through the city and chaos filled the streets as civilians ran for their lives in fear, escaping their homes while the royal forces continued to fight off the invading dragons that continued to swarm in like a plague of locusts! Seeing the ensured destruction taking place around me I began to fear the worse may have happened to them until-

"Lord Ryuga!"

"We're down here!" I then heard suddenly. Looking down from Kaiser dragon, I saw them both near the entrance to the castle waving at me from on top of tri horned dragon. I then breathed a sigh of relief that they were able to make safely to the rendezvous point without a scratch.

I then landed on the ground and got off my dragon as we regrouped at the entrance to the castle front, "Phew, you guys made it in one piece." I was glad that the entire plan worked out perfectly.

"It was thanks to your ingenious and creative planning and strategies we were able to make it this far Ryuga." Ikuchi praised despite the collateral damage it came with, though it was a necessary compromise.

"In fact, I can almost picture a future where you, Dragon Lord Ryuga, shall stand tall as a powerful fearless general leading his troops into a victorious battle my lord." Jilen then proclaimed out of admiration and pride, "No doubt your name shall be engraved on the minds and hearts of generations to come."

"Hahaha….let's not get carried away now okay?" I laughed feeling embarrassed while blushing a bright red. Still….Dragon Lord Ryuga did have a nice ring to it…..

Ikuchi then came in to give me a warm hug to my surprise, "I hope you would forgive me for causing you so much worry…." she then said feeling slightly guilty.

"It's okay," I replied feeling touched for her kindness and consideration for the wellbeing for others, "What matters most is that we're all here together as planned. Don't forget, we've got a mission to complete remember?" I said seriously after.

"Th..that's right. It's time that we finished this." she replied as she looked up from me and finally towards the castle that now stood before us. Inside King Avalon was no doubt being held somewhere, just waiting to be rescued….and Enigma too was no doubt plotting something, by now he was sure to know we were here. I then raised my duel disk as it glowed brightly, as every single dragon in the kingdom transformed into a beam of light that soon retuned to my duel disk and deck no matter where they were, to the surprise of the defending royal armies and monsters who were just engaging them in close battle.

After they all were returned safely to where they belonged, ee all then turned towards the front entrance and walked across the bridge to the massive gates before us, "We may have arrived at Enigma's stronghold, but we still need to secure our position and to hold off any and all forces that may try to take it back." Jilen said with concern, as we merely accomplished the easiest step and that was arriving to the palace in one piece.

"That may be a challenge…." Ikuchi thought to herself worried while drumming her lips in thought.

I on the other hand had already came up with a solution, "Hey Jilen?" I asked.

"Yes?" he asked as he and Ikuchi turned to me curiously, "Is there something that you require of me? If so then make it quick for we have not much time before enemy forces pinpoint our location."

"Actually yes," I answered, "You said you were the captain of the royal army right? That means you've got plenty of experience in the battlefield, like in giving tactical orders and making the best strategical decisions in even the most critical moments I presume?"

He found the statement to be sudden and odd, but still answered with confidence, "Indeed, years of experience to be precise." he replied feeling quite proud and flattered, "Why do you ask?"

"Excellent," I then smiled knowing he would be more than capable for the task I had in mind for him, "Instead of an army of men and steel, how well do you think you are in taking command over a flight of powerful dragons?"

As soon as I finished my request he took a step back in bewilderment, "You want me….to command a flight….of YOUR dragons!?" he gasped.

Ikuchi soon mirrored his shocked expression and was even more so when I began to show them I was serious. Raising my duel disk, it then glowed brightly before shooting out multiple lights from its deck chamber.

Each of the lights took form as one of my powerful dragon type monsters began to materialise before us! From the sky, bright a number of flying dragons, lead by ascension sky dragon and trident dragion, began to soar out of the clouds that opened out like a massive stage curtain. Shooting down from a ray of bright light from the sun came star eater, as well as the gem dragons, hieratics and felgrands who were being lead by Neo Galaxy eyes photon dragon and Galaxy eyes full armour photon dragon! Finally, a large dark portal opened in the ground before us, and rising out of it came Beelzeus, Paradox, Dragocytos and the legion of shadow dragons who followed them. Soon an entire flight of dragons took to the field around us or even flew above us in the air and circling around the palace. Their magnificent display was a sight to behold…..

Taking a step back and nearly falling backwards, he could only look on at a loss for words, "I don't believe it….I…I must be dreaming to bear witness such a sight…." Jilen breathed almost speechless.

"Oh my….How magnificent…..I knew you were skilled and powerful, but to master and earn the trust so many great monsters with such ease must take much experience and courage no doubt." Ikuchi gasped in awe as she covered her mouth. No doubt there was a lot more she would like me to teach her when this is all over.

As they all landed around or hovered above us I made sure to get their attention, "Everyone, can I trust you all to follow along with Jilen's instructions and to keep everything under control here?" I asked to which they all nodded in complete agreement before turning to Jilen and showing submissive behaviour to him, "I'm leaving them all in your hands Jilen, can I trust you to lead them well?"

He then paused for a moment in awe, his mind was trying hard to process what he was seeing as he couldn't believe it. To be surrounded by several almighty monsters at once and to be put in command pot them? That kind of event is beyond legendary and would happen only in ancient myths! However, after hearing a series of war cries and shouts we turned around to see the entire Norvagen army regroup in the central square straight in front of us before charging forward fearlessly! (Apparently they had noticed the over dramatic display my dragons gave out upon their descent and entrances….)

Jilen then nodded firmly knowing if I could trust him with my monsters then there's no reason why he shouldn't let me down, "It shall be my greatest honour of all Lord Ryuga." He said with a respectful bow before he began to open the huge castle gates before us with his diadhank. "I shall hold our position here and monitor the situation to make sure nothing gets out of hand." he stated to us with assurance that he will succeed, "The rest is up to the both of you. Now go! Save our King! Save our World!" he proclaimed as his last few words before we nodded to each other.

As the doors fully opened, "Alright Ikuchi, let's go, time to finish this once and for all." I said to her.

"I'm right behind you Ryuga." She said confidently to me as we both hurried in through the entrance. Once we were inside, Jilen quickly sealed the entrance once more so no one could follow us. Inside the hallways were completely dark and empty, an obvious sign that there were traps waiting ahead of us somewhere in the castle….But we weren't about to let that stop us after coming this far, no matter what happened to us, we were going to finish this today! "Just you wait Enigma, we're coming for you and we won't stop until you and your maniacal plans defeated once and for all!" she proclaimed, "Mark my words, you will answer for all the crimes and atrocities you've committed against my home and most of all, my family and me!" Ikuchi thought to herself as both she and I charged forward into the heart of evil.

 **Hope you all enjoyed this chapter as the climax to this story draws close! This war chapter was inspired by Lord Marksman and Vanadis, also think of the dragon attacks as those seen in Skyrim.**

 **Stay tuned and hope to hear your feedback and reviews!**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

In the shrine room before Leviathan's tablet, Enigma had been mixing together various spell ingredients (from essence of ebikyo drakmord to the scales from dragon ruler monsters) inside a dark cauldron ever since he issued the order to both his subordinates to deal with the invading forces that were planning to assault his stronghold. His diadhank was encased in a floating purple energy sphere nearby, which was generated by his staff's crystal (Being supported by a handle), as it appeared to be gaining power of the sort. He then smirked deviously to himself as his final preparations were coming together but his moment was interrupted by a sudden call of his name down the hallways.

"Master Enigma!" He then turned around to see both Prometheus and Pandora rushing in to his sanctuary, panting in exhaustion as they arrived before him.

"Prometheus? Pandora?" he questioned as he looked away from his work and towards his 2 subordinates, "Did I not order the both of you to oversee the battle outside?" He then asked with a most displeased expression, "You were supposed to subdue all invading forces and capture both the princess and that meddling child Ryuga!? To ensure that none shall interfere with my plans when they've already reached such a critical stage!" he yelled infuriatingly.

Both of them bowed in fear, "Forgive us master! But those children have somehow breached the palace walls and have set up a defensive perimeter around the castle with the most fearsome dragons we have ever seen!"

"As of now, they heading right here to this very room as we speak!"

"What!? Surely you jest!" he gasped in alarm. Turning to the crystal in his staff he then generated a window to the outside. He realised they were correct to his frustration as the entire palace was surrounded on all sides by the most fearsome and powerful dragon type monsters he had ever laid eyes upon. No doubt courtesy of that wretched dragon tamer!

Beelzeus and Dragocytos were at the front main gate where they along with other shadow dragons (Like dark armed dragon, Gandoras, Vandalygyon and Diabolos) kept generating dark nether portals which continued to suck in any approaching forces and waves of ground troops without much effort! In the air, Paradox lead a squadron of more agile aerial dragons like white horned dragon, ascension sky dragon, king and queen dragun, spear dragon and exploder dragon, who were busy occupying any aerial approaches from Enigma's flying forces (Like whip tailed crows or ryu kishins), or dropping attacks on incoming ground forces from across or over the walls. On the draw bridge entrance on the castle's back flank, the palace's weakest entrance was heavily guarded by Ryuga's largest and most ferocious dragon forces-being Neo galaxy eyes, Five headed dragon equipped to cyberdarkness dragon, trident dragion and other heavy weights like hieratics, felgrand and galaxy eyes full armour photon dragon! Any approaching enemy forces were instantly wiped out from the face of the Norvagen field as soon as they approached firing range!

As if that wasn't enough of a problem to him, his mirror shifted to the dark hallways where apparently both Ryuga and Ikuchi had indeed infiltrated his stronghold and were approaching his position relatively faster than he expected them to.

"Hmmm….these children are far more tenacious and determined than I first anticipated…" he thought to himself noticing the determined expressions in their eyes as they continued to traverse through the walkways and overcoming every guard (Royal firestorm guards, medusa worms or skull guardians), trap and obstacle (Like needle wall or barrel behind the door) that stood before them. (Washing them away with giant flood, freezing them in place with cold wave, trapping them within dimensional prison or even utilising gravity bind to stop enemies in their tracks!) He had to admit, while their refusal to surrender was quite a nuisance that very same tenacity was worthy of respect. He then narrowed his eyes as he turned around towards his diadhank which was now in a sphere of energy, being generated from his staff's crystal, "At the rate they are progressing it won't be long before they reach here, and that can prove most troubling considering my preparations are far from complete….." he hissed with a hint of frustration and impatience.

"Master what do you command?" Pandora asked as she looked up to her master's contemplating face, "Ask and it shall be done."

"They have come no doubt unseal Leviathan for their own use…." Enigma thought to himself while scratching his chin in thought. He then smirked before turning to both his servants with a firm expression, "Occupy them, I need more time if I am to set the perfect stage worthy of the ultimate battle, and to ensure all will bear witness my almighty triumph when I finally crush the last hope of the people before their very eyes! If the people will not accept me as their lord and master, then I shall take it all and rule with an iron fist!" He proclaimed before glaring at them with a stern look, "Do not in any way fail me, otherwise you both shall suffer the consequences most severe. Do I make myself clear?"

They both nodded in response, "Your wish is our command master."

"You have our word, that you shall not be disappointed."

As soon as they both look their leave, Enigma then turned his attention back towards his diadhank, "The end is near, and soon I shall take what should have been rightfully mine!" As he finished he then smirked in delight as the spirits of monstrous mutated dragon like monsters began to manifest themselves from the cauldron's cursed soup and began to take refuge in his diadhank, as it slowly gained a dark aura and began to glow with change. "It won't be long now…before Norvagen and many worlds beyond will be in the palm of my own hand! Hahahahaha!" He proclaimed as his malicious laughter began to echo the hallways of the dark chambers in the castle.

 **(Meanwhile)**

As Ikuchi and I hurried past all the guards and traps that delayed us long enough we eventually came across the entrance to Avalon's throne room, "Are you sure this is the way Ikuchi!?" I cried out to her as we soon approached it.

"Yes! I'm certain of it!" she replied back with a nod, "Leviathan's shrine chamber is beyond the secret passage behind my father's throne! Once we're in and manage to summon her from her stone tablet, we might be able to put a stop to Enigma once and for all! Maybe even save my father before it's too late!"

"Okay! I trust you!" I called back. As soon as we stepped past the front entrance however, a huge nightmare steel cage suddenly fell upon us and made us stop in our tracks! "Huh!?"

"Wh..what the!? What's going on!?" We then paused as we soon heard the sounds of approaching footsteps form the secret door behind the throne.

Appearing before us were a pair of sages, one in red robes and the other one in black, "You two have been very naughty children indeed, haven't you?" The woman in black cheekily said to us while wagging her finger.

"We commend you both for making it this far where no one else has ever before, but this is where your long but fruitless journey ends. After all, we have our orders straight from Lord Enigma to not only stop you, but to bring you to him as well, so we can't allow you to continue doing as you please now can we?" The red robed man added.

Ikuchi's eyes widened, "P…Prometheus and Pandora!" she gasped in shock at the sight of both sages.

I then turned to her anxiously, "You… know these guys?"

She then nodded, "They are part of Enigma's inner circle, his most trusted servants and most powerful warriors in all of Norvagen." she answered before glaring back at them from behind the bars, "If they're here, no doubt Enigma must be further up plotting something with that stone tablet containing the great goddess Leviathan!"

"The girl is correct." Pandora giggled in amusement, "But it doesn't matter because you are too late!"

Prometheus then smirked as he stepped forward to mock us from in front of the bars, "In a few mere moments Lord Enigma himself will have obtained the mightiest monster in all of Norvagen! He will become the most powerful being in the entire world and all shall bow before him or feel his wrath!"

"Tch! We'll stop you and your boss!" I growled angrily.

"That's just it, now that we have you at our mercy there is no stopping us now. And once you both are eliminated it will soon be absolute!" They both began laughing deviously to our frustration!

I looked around and grit my teeth in frustration, there wasn't enough room in the cage to summon a monster strong enough to break us out, and nearly all our spells and traps that we could use to get us out of here were already used up getting to this room! (Our decks needed more time to recharge before they regenerate those cards again but time was something we didn't have! Furthermore we no longer had any room to move our arms or reach our decks!) "This can't be it!" I hissed in annoyance and frustration.

"Not after coming so close…." Ikuchi followed.

"It's time for us to put you out of your misery once and for all." Prometheus stated as he came in and prepared to make the nightmare cage shrink and trap us inside even more!

"Oh no!" Ikuchi gasped as the bars dragged even closer to where we stood with the spikes now shifting inside out and were now pointing out towards us!

"They'll crush us soon enough!" I cried in horror as it was only a matter of moments before we would end up as swiss cheese! Suddenly at the very last second, a spell shattering arrow shot out from out of nowhere before it hit its mark straight at the roof of the cage to everyone's surprise! It then flashed a bright red before exploding wildly and blowing both Prometheus and Pandora aside into the wall!

"AAAAAAARRRRGGGHHH!" They cried as they flew straight back and smashed into the side before collapsing on the ground!

As the dust cleared we looked up and couldn't believe what we just witnessed, "Wh…what just happened?" I asked myself.

"I did," A voice replied. Turning around we saw Jilen with a bow in his hand which he then tossed aside before coming to our aid, "My lady! Are you unharmed?"

"Yes, thanks to you." She replied feeling relieved before realising something "Huh? Wait, weren't you-"

"Forgive me my lady for disobeying you," he interrupted, "But I suspected you and Lord Ryuga may encounter a situation such as this one, so I followed you both just in case, and thank the stars I made the right decision." Turning to me, "As for you Lord Ryuga, your dragons are most capable fighters and you have indeed raised them most superbly, I can assure you they will do just fine even without my supervision."

"That's good to hear." I replied knowing that Jilen could trust my monsters enough to handle themselves, "Oh and thanks for the save, a second longer and we would have been goners for sure…." I replied as I shook his hand in thanks, "I owe you one."

"Your words are unnecessary, you are both on a mission to save this kingdom and I am here to make sure that you both succeed." Jilen answered humbly before nothing both Prometheus and Pandora were stirring and starting to come to!

"Urgh…." they groaned as their consciousness began to return to them.

Turning back to the both of us with urgency, "Go! There is a much more pressing issue ahead of us! Allow me to deal with these 2! Go! Now!" He yelled, but before we could say something back, "My life is meaningless in the face of Norvagen's future! If Enigma succeeds in completing his plan then all this would be for nothing! So go now before it's too late!"

"Tch!" I hissed before relenting, "Good luck Jilen and thank you!"

"May fortune and the goddess smile upon you!" Ikuchi added back as we both made our way up the stairs from behind the throne.

"Urgh!" The 2 sages then stood back up groggily and awoke in surprise to find both children missing from sight and now before them blocking the stairway towards their master's inner sanctuary was none other then the captain of the royal guard himself, Jilen! It didn't take long for them to piece what happened so they glared furiously at him.

He then narrowed his eyes and armed himself for a duel, as he clamped on his diadhank onto his arm, "Neither of you shall take a single step from here!" Jilen proclaimed confidently as he activated his weapon, "I shall lay down my life for my lady and lord for their success! When this day is over, this treacherous coup de etat will end once and for all!"

"Tch!" Prometheus hissed angrily as he and his sister had pretty much failed to stop both intruders from getting past them. Knowing how furious their master would be when this comes to past, they knew they had to defeat Jilen with everything they had and as soon as possible, if they were to catch up to both Ryuga and Ikuchi in time, "You shall pay most dearly for your interference! Getting in the way our master's plan and the birth of a new order will not go unpunished!"

"Indeed he shall brother, indeed he shall." Pandora added in frustration knowing they were going to have to pool together every ounce of their power if their master's plan and many long years of patience and effort, was to reach fruition on this very day, and they would let nothing or no one interfere! A devious smile then broke across her face as a thought came into mind, "You may think you've succeeded in buying time for those children Jilen, but all you did was merely buy them a few precious seconds which is insignificant to Lord Enigma, especially since he has come so close."

"And with the 2 of us duelling you at once, even you must realise it must be foolish to give up your life for a lost cause don't you hmmm?" said Prometheus after that.

Jilen then narrowed his eyes and sweated, sure he may have committed a noble and selfless act to aid his allies in their quest but even his sacrifice it would do them no good if he couldn't get them the time they needed, not to mention he was facing off against both of Enigma's most powerful servants at the same time.

Both sage siblings began laughing menacingly, putting more pressure on him before saying more, "However, since there really is nothing you can do to make a difference, we might as well have a little bit of fun while we are here." Pandora added to the warrior's surprise, "Since this is a 2 vs 1 match, how about we add in a little handicap to our duel?" she suggested with a devious smile.

Jilen then raised an eyebrow, "You would give me a handicap? You mock me if you actually believe I would fall for such an obvious lie." he replied feeling insulted and irritated.

"Oh no not at all, Prometheus replied, "In fact we completely respect you, which is why to prove we are honourable duelists we've decided to be generous enough to give you a slight fighting chance in battle. If you were smart you'd take it, otherwise you wouldn't even last 3 turns against us." he smirked, "Besides, since Lord Enigma's victory is already written in stone, there really is no need for us to finish you off quickly."

"Also, it would make the duel a much more interesting one as well, not to mention more entertaining too. So what do you say?" said Pandora who followed after her brother.

Despite being Enigma's most trusted servants, Jilen was aware they at least kept their word and always delivered their promises, otherwise Enigma wouldn't have had so much faith in them that he'd make them his elite guard. He then realised he would need any advantage he could if Ikuchi and Ryuga had any hope of even reaching the wicked sorcerer without any more interference from these two, "I am…listening."

"So glad you can level yourself with us." Prometheus replied pleased, "It's rather simple really so listen well, Pandora and I will share a single graveyard and life gauge 4000 life points, meaning when one of us takes damage our point total experiences the same decrease."

Pandora then continued, "However, we shall each have our own separate fields, while you on the other hand shall have 4000 life points and a field to yourself."

"Furthermore, no one may be allowed to declare any attacks on their first turns. Now do we have any objections?" Prometheus concluded.

Thinking it over, Jilen found no catches in their rules. It seemed reasonable and there weren't any strings attached, not to mention he would need to damage one of them in order to take them both out at the same time. What had he to lose? "I have none of the sort. I agree to your terms."

"Very well, in that case let's get started! Soon all traces of the old world will be wiped clean to make way for the beginning of a new world order! Anyone who would dare oppose us will be destroyed, starting with you!" As both of Enigma's warrior's activated their diadhanks and generated 10 card slates on their side, Jilen activated his and generated 5 on his side.

DUEL!

 **Jilen: 4000**

 **Prometheus and Pandora: 4000**

"The first turn shall be mine!" Jilen called out seizing the chance, "I will start with my pot of greed, which allows me to draw twice." The spell vanished and in its place came 2 new card slates, "I lay 3 cards facedown on the field. Then I summon zombyra the dark from my hand in attack mode!" As 3 cards fell forward, the powerful dark warrior appeared from the shadows! "Finally I shall activate the continuos spell known as mirage of nightmare!" His last card flipped forward and glowed, "Now during your standby phase I can draw until I hold four cards, but during mine I will have to discard four cards."

Prometheus narrowed his eyes, "We are well aware of that card's effect Jilen. And we also know that there's only one other card you would use in combination with that one."

"No doubt you've already set it on the field, otherwise you would never have played that spell in the first place. What a conundrum…." Pandora followed feeling annoyed at what was about to come soon.

"I see your memory is still as accurate," Jilen commented having spent time with them in the palace for years, he was aware that they may know some of his best moves already so he had to be extra careful and not be too predictable, "Since you already know what shall happen next, I shall end my turn and pass it over to you."

"Very well then, in that case I will go next, I draw." Prometheus stated as a new card slate appeared out of the ground.

"As you predicted, my Mirage of nightmare activates allowing me to draw 4 cards!" 4 new slates appeared on Jilin's field, "And now I activate my facedown, emergency provisions! With it, I sacrifice mirage of nightmare and one facedown card to gain 2000 life points!" His spell flipped and glowed, causing Mirage and one facedown card to vanish into sparkles, which restored his life points.

 **Jilen: 4000-6000**

"You would sacrifice a facedown card as well?" Pandora questioned at the move, "It can't simply be just to gain an extra few points, you aren't that wasteful."

"Very perceptive Pandora, Then allow me to shed some light on your puzzled mind!" Jilen answered as the card slate he sacrificed appeared again face up, "The facedown I sacrificed was elegant light level 4. Should it be sent to the graveyard by an effect, it automatically activates, allowing me to special summon a level 4 or lower monster from my deck." The trap exploded into sparkles before recollecting together, "And the monster I choose is my Dark grepher! Appear my loyal comrade in arms!" The sparkles collected into the dark warrior with a long sword.

"Impressive move, not only did you gain 2000 life points you now have another monster to aid you in battle." Prometheus stated before smirking deviously, "Too bad that defence of yours will soon crumble, as well as what little pitiful hope you may hold to opposing Lord Enigma and his soon to be almighty empire!" he then proclaimed which made the noble captain grit his teeth in anger, "I activate the ritual spell called Ritual of destruction! With its power, I sacrifice djinns Releaser and presider of rituals from my hand in order to ritual summon your very own destroyer!" A cursed chain prison emerged from the ritual spell and the 2 grotesque fiends in ancient armour were absorbed into its' core! "I ritual summon! Level 7! Garlandoff King of destruction!" The prison's chains snapped like strings before the entire casing exploded in darkness, emerging from the remains was a hideous and menacing fiend monster who wore pieces of the original prison such as the central chain piece and armour bits!

Jilen began to brace himself ready for the monster's 2500 attack points, but what he received next was something that caught him off guard!

"Garlandoff's ability activates! When ritual summoned he destroys any and all monsters on your side of the field whose defence points are less than or equal to his attack points! Also for each monster destroyed this way he gains 100 attack points!"

His eyes widened in surprise, "What!? That cannot be!"

"It is! Now go! Wipe those specks clean off the field with Oblivion wave!" Garlandoff then let out a lid roar as he sent out a wave of dark energy which spread across the entire room and swallowed up all of Jilin's monsters leaving him completely wide open!

"Tch!" he hissed in annoyance, "It seems I was careless.…A mistake I shall not repeat."

"Since 2 monsters were destroyed through this effect, Garlandoff's attack points now rise to 2700!" As Prometheus finished Garlandoff inhaled the ashes of Jilen's 2 warriors into his body and grew stronger after absorbing their essence!

 **2500-2700**

"I must admit...that was impressive..." The captain admitted as beads of sweat began to form on him.

"That was nothing! You see the special abilities are far from finished!" Pandora said out loud, "You see when djinn monsters are used for ritual summons, they also grant those ritual monsters special effects in the process!"

Prometheus then gained a sinister grin as he continued, "In this case when presider and releaser are used, Garlandoff allows me to draw a card when he destroys a monster by battle, and as long as he is face up on the field you are prevented from special summoning any monsters!"

The old combat veteran was at a loss of words, "This cannot be! If I am unable to special summon my most powerful monsters I will be completely helpless!" he gasped. Another horrifying thought at the back of his mind was that this was merely the tip of the iceberg. No doubt they both would have stacked their decks with similar monsters and plenty of ritual monsters to take advantage of those abilities, this duel was at an entirely new level of significance.

"That is exactly the point! Too bad we have our orders to completely eliminate any and all who oppose Lord Enigma and his glorious new world order! So you won't have any chance to escape this unscathed, of this we shall make sure!" Pandora snarkishly added to his predicament.

"Your fate is pretty much sealed, fortunately for you though, it won't be now since none can declare an attack on their first turns, so I shall prepare for that moment with this facedown card." Prometheus smugly concluded.

Jilen however hardened his gaze as emotions of anger and determination boiled inside him rather than discouragement or worry, "Too bad I never had any intention of fleeing, nor letting this duel end without bloodshed." he thought as he clenched his fist tightly.

"Now its my turn, and your torment shall continue!" Pandora called out as she acquired a new card slate from her diadhank.

Prometheus then spoke out, "Before she begins, I shall take this opportunity to activate my trap known as needlebug nest, which discards the top 5 cards of my deck." 5 card slates erupted from the ground revealing ascending soul, Djinns Dissever, Demolisher, Prognosticator and resider of rituals before they exploded into sparkles.

"For what purpose could he have in mind to sacrifice 5 valuable cards like that?" Jilen thought to himself remembering this tactic from a while back when he duelled alongside Princess Ikuchi, and that he was no doubt setting up for a future move.

"Excellent move Prometheus, you can be sure I will put your cards to good use." Pandora commented with a smile, "But don't think I won't be repaying you, for now I activate the field spell called **Hall of judgement**!" The room they were in began to transform, and soon it turned into a setting which resembled a celestial hall courtroom with an upper stage at the back and various Catholic patterns could be seen on the windows and curtains now surrounding the hall. It was a place where souls were brought before the almighty where they would be brought divine judgement! "A perfect setting for your final battle Jilen, where your punishment for your interference shall soon be delivered!" she proclaimed, "This field allows me to add any ritual spell or even a light ritual monster from my deck to my hand so long as I discard a spell card from my hand. Now I discard card of compensation in order to add the ritual spell End of the world from my deck." The spell in her hand exploded into sparkles before recollecting as the ritual spell, "Now that card of compensation is sent to the graveyard from my hand its effect allows me to draw 2 more cards."

Jilen then smiled the moment the 2 new card slates appeared in her side, "I really must thank you for that."

"Oh? And why is that?" she asked.

"Because, since you just drew some additional cards into your hand my trap now activates!" he stated, "I reveal my Talisman of reversal! Which allows me to draw the same number of cards that you currently have in your hand! Giving me a grand total of 9 cards!" The facedown flipped up and exploded into sparkles, all of which collected together as 5 new slates which were added into his hand!

Pandora then scowled, "How clever taking advantage of my move to strengthen your options, but I highly doubt they will do you much good though."

"Enough talk sister," said Prometheus, "The sooner we eliminate this pest the sooner we will be able to annihilate those 2 meddling children and prevent them from interfering with master enigma's glorious plan."

"Very well then brother. After all, we can't have anyone meddle in our affairs now that we've come so close." she scoffed in agreement.

Hearing their statement and what they intended to do was beginning to put Jilen on the edge of losing self control, "Grr...you will do no such thing. This I swear."

"I activate the ritual spell end of the world! While I would normally require sacrifices from either my hand or field, thanks to Prometheus' djinns which are now sleeping in the graveyard, their special abilities allow me to banish them from the graveyard and use them as the tributes for a ritual summon instead!" Pandora announced as a wave of energy erupted from the ritual spell, "Now I banish Disserere, Prognosticator and Presider from the graveyard!" The 3 djinns were absorbed into the spell as a powerful light erupted from it! "Now watch as the powers of light bring divine punishment on those who dare stand in the way of Lord Enigma! I ritual summon! Level 8! Ruin! Queen of oblivion!" The powerful axe wielding queen appeared onto the field.

"Now I understand….Prometheus supplies the monsters while pandora utilises them already in the graveyard in exchange for strengthening their side with more defences in spells and traps...it's like facing off against a warrior with both an effective use of the shield and sword..." Jilen believed this may be his most important and hardest duel ever.

"Now with the effects of the 3 djinns used, my almighty queen is immune to all trap cards! Furthermore, when she inflicts damage you are forced to discard a card from your hand. She also possesses the ability to attack once more when she destroys a monster in battle, and when she does each time, I can draw one card." Pandora explained as the 3 djinns' souls appeared around Ruin, symbolising how they were giving her even more power!

Jilen narrowed his eyes, "This will be….most challenging indeed…." he said out loud seriously.

"From our points of view, I would say your position is far less than satisfactory." Prometheus commented.

"Indeed, It would appear I have been driven into large corner…." Pandora added, "The end will soon be upon you once your turn is over, and to ensure of it I shall activate card of burial magic. By banishing 3 spell cards, I may be allowed to draw 2 new cards in return." after she said so, Ritual of destruction, card of compensation and ascending soul were sucked into a banish portal generated by the new spell on the tablet. It then exploded and reformed as 2 new cards. "I now place one card facedown ending my turn." she said as she placed one of her new cards on the field.

"So tell us Jilen, how does it feel to be completely outmatched and overwhelmed, knowing that there's absolutely nothing you can do to stop us?" Prometheus taunted hoping to see Jilen lose the will to resist, surely such a position as now would be both inescapable and impossible to overcome.

The loyal and noble soldier however refused to yield and responded with a courageous statement, "Despite these impossible odds, for the sake of the kingdom I mustn't fail Lady Ikuchi or lord ryuga! Even if I am destined for defeat, I shall never yield! I will fight with my warrior's pride to my last breath!" As he finished he continued his move, "I draw!" As he looked at what he acquired a glimmer of hope appeared on his face, "Excellent! I activate the spell book of eclipse! When this is played this forces all of your monsters to flip into facedown defence mode until this turn's end phase!"

Both his opponents were caught completely by surprise, never expecting him to make a comeback at all. "What!?"

"Oh no!" They looked on as the spell generated an ancient book which glowed and forced both their monsters to go into facedown.

"Now that your king and queen are no longer faceup on the field, their sealing effects are no longer in effect, meaning I am now able to ritual summon my own all powerful monster!" Jilen called out.

"Tch! To think he would be able to find a way through our combination…." Prometheus growled in frustration.

Pandora on the other hand narrowed her eyes, "I should have known the captain of the guard would not allow himself to be defeated so easily…." she thought calmly to herself, not giving into her emotions as easily as her brother.

"Now I activate my trap! Lifeline from the graveyard!" His next trap flipped faceup, "This lets me revive 2 of my monsters from the dark veil of the grave so long as I sacrifice life points equivalent to their total levels, which shall be well worth the price since it allows my brave warriors to return to my side!" He then yelled as he sacrificed a portion of his life points and energy to activate it, "AAAARRRGGHH!"

 **Jilen: 6000-5200**

"Urgh! Now rise up Zombraya the dark and Dark grepher!" His 2 previous warriors rose from a portal in the ground and back on the field beside their master.

"So they've returned…" Pandora commented.

"After the trouble I went through to eliminate them…" Prometheus grumbled in annoyance.

Jilen continued his move, "I activate dark grapher's special ability! By discarding a dark monster I am allowed to send another from my deck to the graveyard. From my hand I discard the fiend megacyber, and then I shall send necro gardna from my deck to the graveyard." Both stone slates were absorbed into a graveyard portal.

"Tch! What a nuisance," Prometheus grunted already knowing what Jilen planned, "But no matter how long you stall for time nor how hard you struggle, your defeat is still inevitable!"

"Wrong! Nothing is ever predetermined! Even when the odds are heavily stacked against you, Ryuga has taught me that the tide of battle can shift at even the last precious second, as long as I do not give up on hope that much is certain!" He retorted, "Zombraya the dark! Attack and destroy the facedown Garlandoff! King of destruction!" His warrior leapt into the air and did a somersault, followed by a diving kick straight into the facedown card before it revealed itself as the powerful fiend ritual and exploded! "And with him gone, dark grepher shall lay siege to the facedown Ruin Queen of Oblivion!" His second warrior charged forward and cleaved the facedown monster in half with his fearsome blade!

As their monsters disappeared from the field, "Grr! How dare you!" Prometheus shouted in rage.

"You would destroy 2 of our most powerful monsters and get in the way of our master's glorious vision? For that you will perish!" Pandora added just as furious.

Jilen knew that the duel was about to get that much harder from this point on, it was time to bring in the ace of his sleeve, "You are welcome to try, but before you do so I shall activate litmus doom ritual! Sacrificing both Zombraya and Dark grepher in order to ritual summon!" Both his monsters were absorbed into the spell as it activated, "Appear! Level 8 Litmus doom swordsman!" The dual bladed warrior in well-dressed garments leapt out of the ritual spell and onto the field!"My great warrior is immune the effects of traps and cannot be slain in battle. While his attack points remain at 0, that will soon change with this facedown." He said as he placed one card down, "I also activate the equip spell Fusion sword Murasame blade!" One of his swords then changed into an enchanted blade which possessed a mystical aura.

 **0-800**

"Eventhough the power granted by my sword may seem insignificant, because of its' enchanted magic, my swordsman now is rendered completely impervious to destruction!" Jilen announced.

"Tch! Now his monster is completely indestructible….As if he wasn't already enough trouble…." Pandora scoffed.

"Now do you see? Nothing will stop me from ensuring by allies are successful in their quest to put a stop to this madness and save Norvagen!" He then shouted defiantly, "Should you persist on pursuing them, then you must go through me and take my life! And with that I end my turn." He concluded valiantly.

Prometheus then clenched his fist in anger and frustration, he was done playing around and taking it easy. Now he was out for blood! "You have tried our patience! And I have had enough of these games! Prepare for your demise at the hands of my ultimate king of desolation!" He yelled as he drew his card.

"You will surely fail, for I now activate the trap Trick battle!" His facedown card opened up, "When 2 monsters in attack mode battle, this trap will ensure that the stronger one will always be destroyed before damage calculation! Also while a trap is faceup on the field, my swordsman's attack points rise to 3000!" The trap glowed which then synchronised with his warrior.

 **800-3800**

"Now do you understand that with this field set up there is nothing you can do! Not only is my monster more powerful than ever, but should you somehow manage to summon a monster strong enough to attack him with, my trap will destroy it the moment it tries to! Furthermore, my monster is immune to my own trap's effect as well meaning he perfectly invincible."

"Tch!" Prometheus hissed in annoyance, "You may think you have once again set up an invincible wall, but you couldn't be more wrong Jilen! My ultimate king will see to it that what ever pathetic defence you forge will easily crumble at his might! First I activate card of demise! This lets me draw until I hold 5 cards! Then in 5 turns I discard my entire hand!" A set of card slates erupted from the ground, "Exactly what I needed! Now I activate my own End of the World ritual spell! With its power I tribute from my hand and from the graveyard, a Djinn Presider of rituals, in order to call forth the ultimate king of demise!" One fiend from his hand and another froths graveyard was absorbed into the light which shot out from the card slate! "I ritual summon! Arise! Level 8! Demise! King of Armageddon!"

"It will take much more than that to shake my spirit Prometheus." Jilen stated unmoved, "Your all powerful king of Armageddon has fewer attack points than my swordsman, who also can't be destroyed by battle or effect!"

"That may be for now, but let's see you maintain your steadfast resolve and pride after this!" The sage in red said before gaining a malicious smirk, "I activate Demise's special ability! By paying 2000 life points I can instantly obliterate every other card on the field except for himself! And even though your swordsman will survive, it will still bring him to his knees and render him incapable of protecting you from our monsters' attacks!"

"Go! Lament of Demise! AAAARRRRGGGHH!" Prometheus and Pandora both then sacrificed half of their total life points before granting it to Demise, who eagerly absorbed it! The fiendish ritual king then slammed the pole end of his axe on to the ground, before letting out a ghostly wail and unleashing a powerful wave of negative energy which began to destroy everything on the field! The hall of judgement that Pandora played was beginning to crack and fall apart!

 **Prometheus and Pandora: 4000-2000**

"Wait! By doing that you would also annihilate every single other card on Pandora's field in the process!" Jilen immediately called out in alarm, "You would willingly sacrifice your points to leave her wide open to an attack as well!? Have you no honour or shame!?"

"Hehehe! You must really take me for a naive beginner if you think I haven't taken my partner into consideration." Prometheus grinned which was soon mirrored by his sister, who had been waiting for this exact moment.

"I activate the trap urgent ritual art!" She called out as she revealed her facedown card, "As I control no ritual monsters, by banishing a ritual spell from my hand or graveyard I can use this trap's effect as that ritual spell!" One card tablet in her hand then disappeared into a banish portal, "I banish Ritual of grace from my hand! Along with Djinns Prognosticator, Disserere and Demolisher of rituals from the graveyard in order to ritual summon!" The trap absorbed the souls of the 3 fiends from the graveyard, "Rise up! Level 7! Divine Grace Northwemko!" A pillar of light erupted from the ground as the majestic spell caster rose from it and took to the field. "When Prognosticator, Disserere and Demolisher are used, my Divine grace now cannot be targeted by any card effects, is unaffected by trap cards and forces you to discard one card when she inflicts battle damage." The souls of the 3 djinns were absorbed into the powerful female ritual monster, "Now I'll use her ability! Aura of grace! When ritual summoned I can select cards on the field up to the number of ritual monsters used to summon her. As long as any one of those cards remains faceup on the field, she cannot be destroyed by card effects!"

"Oh no….as if things weren't bad enough…" Jilen then realised that Pandora's monster would become immune to her brother's, meaning he would soon suffer an additional attack next turn after Prometheus was finished with his turn.

"They're about to become far worse, for I choose Demise king of armageddon, your litmus doom swordsman and the trap trick battle!" Northwemko held out her wand which made each of the selected cards gain an aura which synced with herself.

"Now without further ado, my king's special ability recommences! Lament of Demise!" The wave of energy then shattered the entire field which returned them to the original room they were in. In addition to that, all of Jilen's other cards were destroyed, but Litmus doom swordsman's blade generated a protective barrier around him which shielded him from the incoming negative waves!

 **3800-0**

"Thanks to fusion sword Murasame blade, my litmus doom swordsman isn't destroyed!" Jilen called out as he held out his arm to cover himself from the powerful energy waves from Demise, he also dug in the heels of his boots into the ground to stop himself from being blown away like a leaf in the breeze!

"That may be but now that your trap is no more, Demise king of armageddon now attacks your weak and helpless swordsman! Attack with Armageddon Axe!" The fiendish king shrieked before charging forward and swinging his heavy axe at Litmus!

"I think not! By banishing Necro gardna from my graveyard, I can negate your king's attack!" Jilen interrupted as the armoured dark warrior rose form the graveyard and acted as a shield against the incoming axe!

"Hnph! You've postponed the inevitable once more….luck may be on your side for now, but it will run out for you eventually." Prometheus scoffed before looking to another card, "And to make sure of it, I'll play the spell Corpse Fruit. By targeting a monster on the field whose attack value is different from tis original, I then gain that difference is life points!"

Jilen then grit his teeth in frustration, "Tch! A moment ago Litmus doom swordsman had 3800 attack points…."

"So our life points now increase by 3800." Pandora added as a cursed looking fruit appeared from the stone tablet which then exploded into dark sparkles that showered upon both cloaked sages!

 **Prometheus and Pandora: 2000-5800**

"5800 life points…." Jilen narrowed his eyes at their new life gauge, now that their points were over 4000 they would be able to use Demise's ability again next round, also with Divine Grace now shielded with Demise's presence it wouldn't be destroyed itself! Meaning he would be the only to suffer the receiving end of that ability and it would also leave him completely vulnerable to attacks from both ritual monsters as well! Drops of sweat began to run down his face and neck as immense pressure began to weigh down on him like a huge boulder was on his shoulder!

"Now I end my turn, with that your own end draws near." Prometheus concluded with a smirk.

"It's my move now. And my draw." Pandora stated as she gained a new card, "My divine grace northwemko now attacks litmus doom swordsman! Use Divine sceptre blast!" Divine grace then lowered her staff towards the now weak swordsman before firing a beam of shining light from it! The brave warrior tried to guard with his 2 blades, but they were easily shattered by the incoming blast and he received a powerful direct strike at his body, which was reflected in his master!

"Aaaaaarrrggh!" they both yelled as pain surged through them both! They then collapsed to their knees due to the immense shock they just suffered.

 **Jilen: 5200-2500**

Despite still having around half his life points left, the blow he just took was severe and knocked out much of his strength! Nevertheless his desire to protect Ikuchi and Ryuga, as well as ensuring their success in saving Norvagen, continued to fuel his will and determination to continue fighting! "N..NO! I will not let it end here! Now after coming so far! Argh!" Mustering what little energy he had left, he then slammed his fist into the ground before forcing himself up to his legs, he was still heavily shaken but refused to succumb to his own body's injuries and stood up, "This…is nothing!" he yelled at the top of his lungs.

Both sage siblings then snickered in amusement at his shaken state, "You can try to deny it all you want, but even you must know that one more attack like that and you are finished!"

"And do not forget, as you have taken battle damage you must discard a card from your hand."

"Tch! In that case…" He spat as he observed what he had left, "I choose this one." The card of his choice then vanished.

"I think you've suffered enough this turn. So I'll take pity on you and end my turn right now." Pandora stated, "Well brother, it would appear that this duel is all but decided."

"Indeed sister," Prometheus added, "We have plenty of points to spare so that Demise will be able to clear the way for our victory! Face it 'Captain of the guard'! You are finished!"

"And with you gone, all we need to do is eliminate those meddling children and whatever shred of hope you may carry in your heart will be extinguished like a candle's flame!" Pandora cried as they both then laughed mockingly to an infuriated Jilen, "Your last turn is now upon you, use it wisely. Not that it would matter because there is nothing you can do!"

Jilen then grasped the side of his chest as a wave of pain struck his side, he almost fell down to his knees but managed to keep one foot on the ground. "Ugh! As much as I would hate to admit it….they're right…If I don't end this next turn, demise king of armageddon will wipe my field clean and leaving me vulnerable to a direct attack…." He then looked to his diadhank and closed his eyes, "Please Lady Ikuchi, lord Ryuga….give me your strength!" he prayed before taking in a deep breath and taking his leap of faith! "DRAW!" As his next card slate erupted from the ground, he looked upon it. A new glimmer of hope granted him new strength and he was able to overcome his physical injuries and stand firm one again, "Thank you both…." he thought before facing Prometheus and Pandora who looked upon him with confusion.

"Servants of that vile weasel Enigma! You will threaten and oppress the people no more, nor will you lay your hands on The Princess nor her comrade! In the name of the royal knights who served before me and of the King, I will take you down on this very turn!" he shouted as his swordsman reflected the same determination as his master and stood tall as well!

"I…Impossible!"

"Where is he getting all that strength!? He should be powerless by now!"

"You underestimate the bond I have with Ikuchi and Ryuga, that mistake shall become your undoing!" He declared as he took his card slate, "I activate the equip spell known as double buster swords! By equipping this to my warrior type litmus doom swordsman, he now gains the ability to attack twice this turn! However, due its double edged effect it will destroy the monster it is equipped to on the end phase of this turn." Litmus doom swordsman's hands then gained a new pair of golden swords (Which resembled Utopia's), causing him to shine brightly as he flared his new set of blades!

"The good that will do you!"

"Correct, considering your monster has no attack points to use, the moment you declare your attack you'll succeed in wiping yourself out!"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Jilen said as he smirked himself.

"What?" They asked in suspicion.

"Take a closer look." As they looked harder at Litmus doom swordsman, they saw it glow brightly before powering up to its strongest attack level!

 **0-3000**

They were caught completely by surprise at the the startling unexpected development, "Wh..what!?" Taking a closer look at the field they saw the continuos trap Respect Plays was activated!

"B..But how!? You shouldn't have any trap cards out! Prometheus completely obliterated all the other cards on the field a moment ago!"

"It would have been, had it not been for you Pandora. Also, I have you to thank for that as well." Jilen replied.

"M…Me?" she pointed to herself in confusion.

"Correct, do you recall what happened during your turn a moment ago?" Earlier when Jilen was made to discard a card, a trap card then activated from his hand, "When you forced me to discard a card due to Northwemko inflicting battle damage to me, the card I discarded in turn was Makyura the destructor!" The soul of the dark warrior rose form the graveyard as he finished, "Due to his effect, when he's sent to the graveyard I was allowed to activate a trap card from my hand for that turn, which allowed me to activate Respect plays from my hand before you ended your turn! Therefore, the effect of my litmus doom swordsman was triggered, boosting his power to 3000!"

"Tch! How could we have been so blind?" Pandora grunted in frustration.

"No matter, even if you do attack and destroy our monsters victory isn't yours by a long shot! Your field will soon be reduced to nothing and you'll be finished!" Prometheus retorted.

Jilen shook his head in disagreement, "I'm afraid it's your life points who will run out by then. But in case you do not believe me, allow my trap to speak for itself." He said as he turned to his actuated trap slate, "Thanks to respect plays, during each of our respective turns we will need to reveal our hands, and now watch as your defeat now unfolds!" He then revealed his entire arsenal of cards, as they looked at each and every one of them they took a step back in disbelief and horror.

"N..NO!" they both cried.

"The countdown to your defeat begins now! I activate the continuos spell card reservation reward! With this card comes your downfall for I now set rush recklessly from my hand!" The spell moved to the field as another was set facedown, "Now litmus doom swordsman attack!" His swordsman yelled a battle cry before charging forward while flashing both his swords! "Due to the effect of reservation reward, the rush recklessly quick play spell I just set can now be activated! Which I shall do so now!" The spell granted a power boost to Litmus doom swordsman, making him go even faster as he charged towards Demise and Divine Grace!

 **3000-3800**

"And finally, the last effect of my continuos spell activates! My swordsman's attack points now double during this battle phase, making him the strongest monster in play!" The spell shot a stream of energy into Litmus doom swordsman causing his swords to enlarge and flash brightly, followed by an immense power boost!

 **3800-7600**

Pandora took a step back as the shining warrior brought his swords down on both their monsters with ease, while Prometheus remained frozen in anger and shock, "This cannot be! How could our invincible teamwork have been defeated!? It's…IMPOSSIBLE!" she screamed.

Both monsters then cried before exploding, sending immense shockwaves towards their wielders! "Lord Enigma! Avenge us!"

BOOOM!

"AAAAAAARRRRGGGHHH!"

 **Prometheus and Pandora: 5800-0**

 **Jilen: WIN!**

As the dust cleared, both of Enigma's minions lay on the ground still and utterly defeated across the floor of a now devastated room. Litmus doom swordsman did a bow before Jilen before disappearing inside his card slate. "You did well my friend, thank you….to you and….my comrades…" Jilen breathed as the pain and exhaustion began to return to him. "Urgh!" He then fell forwards and collapsed on the ground, finally succumbing to his injuries. He then looked upwards at the stairway Ikuchi and Ryuga ran up a moment ago before smiling and closing his eyes peacefully. "Forgive me…Lady ikuchi…for I have reached my limit…Nevertheless, I have done my part, now….I leave our future in the hands of both you and Ryuga's….ugh…"

 **With this duel the final battle soon draws closer, stay tuned and find out the truth and full plot behind Enigma's master plan!**

Hall of judgement Field

You can discard 1 Spell Card; add 1 LIGHT Ritual Monster or 1 Ritual Spell Card from your Deck to your hand. You can shuffle any number of Spell Cards from your Graveyard into the Deck, then target 1 LIGHT Fairy-Type monster in your Graveyard whose Level equals the number of cards you shuffled into the Deck; Special Summon it. You can only use each effect of "Hall of Divine judgement" once per turn.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

"How much further to the shrine room Ikuchi!?" I called out as we continued running down the stairways after Jilen paved the way for us, speaking of that I really was hoping he was doing okay against those 2 goons of Enigma, but knowing him he should be alright.

"Not much, after this flight of stairs we'll be there in no time!" She replied back facing me.

"That's good to know." I thought as I looked ahead and saw a light at the end of the pathway. "Get ready Enigma, because were coming for you, and we'll make sure it all ends today!"

Meanwhile in the shrine room, Enigma's diadhank continued to absorb more and more energy from his staff until finally, the energy sphere it was enveloped in dissipated. "Ahahahaha! Yes! Finally it's done!" He laughed joyfully to himself as he reclaimed it, now it sparked with residual energy left over from the configuration spell, but it mattered little as now his masterpiece was finally finished. "With my new and improved diadhank now completed, there is nothing anyone can do to stop me!" He boasted before remembering last member, looking to his diadhank and the card slate pool inside it, which was like a bottomless pit surrounded by many glowing card slates that were being created, "Now all that's left is one last matter…..And then no one will be able to stand in my way!" He thought to himself deviously, but before he could indulge himself in his desires much longer, the sounds of an unexpected pair of voices snapped him out of his fantasy.

"Hold it right there Enigma!"

"Step away from Leviathan this instant! It's over!"

"Hmmm?" Turning around he then jumped back in surprise with widened eyes at the children who stood before him with determined resolve and righteous anger, Ryuga and Princess ikuchi! "Wh…what!? You!? How did-" He then shifted his surprised and panicked expression to a more confident and devious one, "I mean, hehehe most impressive making it this far." He snickered, "In all honesty I knew that you would be able to overcome both my minions, but even I never expected you to have arrived here so soon….." In actual fact his confident facade was so that he wouldn't show weakness or fear, as his final preparations had not been completed yet, thus he was in no position to fight back…at east for the moment.

"Well we are now!" I yelled back in response.

Ikuchi then stepped forward "It's time for you to surrender! We know the truth! You were the one who poisoned my father's drink that night! You took advantage of the panic and framed Ryuga for being responsible, and not only that you also sent bounty hunters and assassins after us! If that wasn't enough, you even oppressed our own people cruelly like some mad dictator! That's downright unforgivable!"

"We've fought through the Norvagen armies, overcome every single trap and obstacle you set for us and finally we stand before you! You have nothing left! So give up and come quietly or else! You've broken all of Norvagen's sacred rules and it's time you paid for what you've done!"

"Tch! I need more time…." He thought to himself seeing that it was something he was running out of, and then suddenly a smirk broke across his face as an idea was born inside his mind, "Hehehe…I know exactly what to do…." He then feigned innocence and defeat, "Oh dear, it seems you've caught and exposed me and now there's absolutely nothing I can do…." he said, "Although, let's not be so hasty nor shall we? We still have plenty of time and since I am completely unarmed and at your mercy, we have an opportunity to talk face to face." He added snarkishly while keeping a sneaky look on his face.

"Nice offer but I think we'll pass," I replied uninterested, "It's time you've gotten what you deserved! And no way you'll weasel your way out of this with any of your sleazy words!" I yelled after that.

"Oh come now, surely you must have something to ask me." He persisted, "After coming all this way, you would waste your only chance to hear some of my greatest secrets or even my final words before you…lock me away, banish me or have me face whatever sentence you have in mind hmm?" He asked.

I had no intention of wasting anymore time with this nonsense, but before I could make a move Ikuchi held me back to my surprise, "Wait Ryuga," She said to me firmly, "I do actually have something to say to him." Somehow I knew this was a bad idea but this was her choice to make and I suppose we did deserve at least an explanation as to why Enigma did all this in the first place. I then nodded before stepping down and allowing Ikuchi to have her moment. She then looked up to her former advisor with a very serious and angered expression, "Why would you do this? You and my father were long time allies, friends even! We even treated you as part of our family and welcomed you with open arms. How could you betray us like that!?"

"Welcomed me? Treated me as family? Friends?" He repeated as a shade then covered his eyes. For a moment he remained absolutely silent, until he began to chuckle unnervingly before finally breaking out into maniacal laughter, "Hehehehe Hahahahahaha!" He laughed as he clutched his face in his own hand, "You really are a blind and naive child aren't you Princess Ikuchi. Then again, I shouldn't have expected anything more from someone so sheltered and always having everything handed to her since the day she came into the world. Also, how could I ever betray you? If I was never even on your side to begin with!" He screeched which completely shocked the 2 of us with his sudden change in attitude and sudden declaration.

"Wh…what?" she gasped in disbelief.

"To tell you the truth, I despised your family for years!" He added which further bewildered us as the true monster beneath his seemingly gentle appearance was beginning to emerge, "For nearly my entire life I served the royal family, working countless tiring days nights in honour of his majesty. My years of hard work, and how was I rewarded? The answer is nothing!" He yelled in anger as bad memories began to rush back into his mind, "I was cast aside, rejected and unappreciated the moment you were born and Avalon declared you to be his rightful heir! Honestly that very night continues to haunt me till now reminding me of my complete and utter humiliation!" He then took a few breaths of air to regain some of his composure before continuing his tale, "It would have remained that way too…..until the day my team of my personal agents brought this to me!" Grabbing his staff from the back of his cloak, he then opened the sphere at the end of it, revealing a powerful looking crystal inside it! Emanating in shades of light and dark, the very sight of it pretty much froze us in our tracks.

"Wh…what is that thing?" I asked nervously seeing that gem in his staff giving off large amounts of powerful energy, no doubt very dangerous in the wrong hands like now, and yet…..There was something familiar about it….

Ikuchi's eyes then widened, "That crystal…I remember that! From the night of the 2 stars several years ago!" She gasped pointing out to it.

"Huh!?" I mirrored her facial expression of shock and disbelief, "That's what he used to save the kingdom from the monsters when they went all berserk!?" I found it hard to believe such a cursed looking crystal could have accomplished something so heroic.

"Correct children!" Enigma answered as we looked back towards him, "This crystal is a very special jewel filled with obscene amounts of light and darkness! Uncovered by my agents from a crater deep within the mountainous range ruled by the powerful dragon rulers of fire water, earth and wind. It contains powers so great you wouldn't even begin to imagine what it's capable of! In fact, even I haven't been able to unlock all its secrets just yet but surely you remember some of my handiwork don't you hmm?"

"Yes…." Ikuchi narrowed her eyes as she recalled that unforgettable night which scarred her life, "You used it to repel the rampaging monsters that night….control them and eventually seal them away in the stone tablets you forged." After that she began to recall the events of how monsters pretty much began slaves to people and the peace and harmony that took years to achieve was destroyed. The very thought had sickened her each time she relived those events, seeing the person and artefact responsible for that was beginning to set her off the edge.

"I see your memory is as sharp as it always has been my dear, nothing ever gets by you does it?" Enigma chuckled deviously, "However, that was merely the tip of the iceberg. You see when I first uncovered it, even I had no idea how this piece of rock was able to accomplish so many great feats! Through my various experiments when I first tested in on my disposable lab monsters, I learnt that it's light powers could grant monsters increased strength and abilities, even bestowing upon them knowledge and increased intelligence, even a sense of right and wrong. However, its dark energy also possessed the power to corrupt the hearts, minds or even the souls of whatever monster I chose! Driving them mad to the point of insanity! When combined both powers made any monster virtually even more powerful than ever!"

"That's horrible…." Ikuchi gasped as the blood from her face began to rush out, turning her slightly pale at the countless monsters that may have suffered or even sacrificed in his maniacal experiments!

I on the other hand had listened carefully to everything he had said, and was beginning to remember something from my own past, "Why does that seem so familiar?" I thought to myself while scratching my chin in deep thought. Suddenly, an old memory of mine returned from back in the Original Dimension! It happened the night when Zarc and I were locked in fierce battle with the fate of the world at stake. As we clashed we also sealt each other heavy wounds through biting with fangs, tearing each other apart with our claws and clashing beams. Miraculously, when we both traded blows at the exact same time, a scale from each of us was torn off after we collided. The scales then flew off rather closely together, and the forces of light and dark pulled each other closer like a magnet! They joined together almost perfectly like a jigsaw puzzle into a crystal shape. Finally, when Zarc and I were finally separated along with Ray due to the 4 nature cards, the entire world was then split up and the crystal was enveloped in the light too…

"Gasp!" I went as I came back to my senses and Ikuchi turned to me in alarm, "I can't believe it….all that time ago…it still remained and even ended up here…."

"Ryuga? Is something wrong? You look as though you know something about that….gem…" she asked me.

Looking back at her seriously I gave her a small nod, "I do." I replied to her surprise, "I can't say anything yet, but let's just say, I have a feeling that rock is even more powerful than it appears…."

"Very perceptive for a child." Enigma stated impressed at my observation, "And you are correct, but it wasn't just power this crystal possessed, it's energy also helped me realise something. Open my eyes to a truth as well as awakening me from a nightmarish lie!"

"What do you mean by that Enigma?" Ikuchi asked nervously while I said nothing and listened.

"Don't you see!" he screeched with cried and wide maniacal eyes, "With this power in my hands, I could control all the monsters in the entire world if I wanted to! I could easily bend them all to my will whether they desired it or not! It also made me realise they all have hidden potential within them that they could never achieve on their own, or even hidden away out of fear and weakness!" He proclaimed to our horror and disgust, but he wasn't finished yet, "Naturally I wouldn't tell that feeble minded Avalon of this because he obviously wouldn't have none of it! He was nothing more than a short-sighted, no, a simple-minded fool! He had no vision or even the slightest bit of ambition needed to become a ruler! The throne and position as king would have been completely wasted on him if he wouldn't use any of the powers he was bestowed with! All that power wasted just to maintain peace! It's utterly ridiculous!"

Ikuchi glared at him, "How dare you say that about my father!?" she yelled furiously while I grit my teeth in anger, "He was a great and noble king who upheld the beliefs and principles we were passed down since Leviathan founded Norvagen! We always lived in peace and harmony with the monsters who called the land home! Such vile ideas would be completely against everything we worked hard to build!" She yelled.

"That's exactly my point Princess Ikuchi!" Enigma retorted, "That simple minded old man never once attempted to draw out the hidden potential of the monsters nor even tried to control them! Because he was weak and afraid of the potential it would have brought Norvagen! I also realised that through the years I was blinded by my aimless loyalty, I watched so many windows for new opportunities and possibilities to use the monsters close forever! This foolish world has held back priceless years of progress and evolution out of misguided and ridiculous idealism regarding coexistence and peace between humans and monsters! I soon realised that I couldn't allow this to continue so I decided to take matters into my own hands…." He then grinned sinisterly, "Thus I began a series of secret experiments with the crystal for many long months. It took me time to master the crystal's power and to perfect my control over the test subjects, but when I finally succeeded in creating a handful of powerful monster minions, I decided to move on to much bigger plans. At first I planned to assassinate King Avalon with my monsters, by making it appear to be a mere accident in the night. However something unexpected development forced me to make a change of plans. That development, was none other than you my dear?"

"M…me?" She asked pointing to herself in confusion. Even I was curious to know where this was going despite planning to stop him when we first stepped into this room.

"Indeed," he nodded, "In fact I was so caught up in my plans and experiments I failed to notice how much of an enchanting beauty you had grown into." She wasn't at all flattered, in fact she felt more disgusted just hearing him say that about her. "You were so innocent and pure hearted, I eventually entertained the thought of making you my own one day, and by doing so I could save myself a lot of trouble, time and effort by winning over the hearts of the people by marrying into the royal family. But knowing your father he wouldn't simply allow anyone to take your hand in marriage, so I simply staged a scenario where I could easily pass myself off as a hero, therefore winning over that feeble man's heart and trust and seeing me worthy as King."

"Staged a scenario…." She repeated before widening her eyes, "You….you can't mean!"

"Yes, exactly." he grinned, "That night was no mere accident, it was all my going! Mine and mine alone!" he proclaimed while stretching his arms and staff wide open, "I used the crystal to not only empower and strengthen the kingdom's monsters that night, I also used the darkness to drive them to the point of madness! Awakening their feral instincts and making them go on a rampage! After the chaos was created and everyone was desperate for a saviour, all I needed to do was to step in at the correct moment and present myself as the hero and saviour they all hoped for! A well written script if I would say so myself wouldn't you agree?"

Ikuchi gasped in horror at the nightmarish incident being all part of a plot the entire time, she then shaded tears of sadness and anger, "You….You….heartless monster!" she screamed as I did my best to restrain my own, to think he was such a heartless monster….None of the enemies I faced until now, not even Zarc himself would have been this black hearted, "Didn't it occur to you how many innocent people perished during the nightmare?! How many hearts and lives you ruined and scarred all out of your selfish plan?! I….I even lost my mother because of that night…to think it was all staged by you!" She screamed in agony with hints of hatred along with it.

He then lowered his head slightly, "I truly am sorry for your loss my dear princess, but the collateral damage helped to stir fear and urgency, as well as the desperation within the people as well as the cowardly king himself." He then regained his disgusting smirk once more, "In fact, he was so desperate for a solution I was more than willing to provide in exchange for a certain reward in return of course. That being, you and the throne, all went exactly as I had planned and hoped for."

"You're unforgivable! You'll never get away with this!" Ikuchi then screamed.

No way was I going to be left out of this anymore, "We'll stop you Enigma! Mark my words this all ends today!"

Enigma then shifted his eye to the diadhank underneath his sleeve, it glowed faintly signalling his deck was finally complete. He then smirked to himself seeing there was no need to stall for much longer, now he could get on the main event!

"Oh indeed it shall Ryuga, but not the way you would expect." he said, "In fact, I was actually hoping you both of you would show yourselves so that I could make you suffer for ruining my long awaited plan!" He then boasted, "You see even after that 'heroic' act earning Avalon's approval proved most hard and difficult because of my methods which contradicted his ridiculous beliefs that he refused to let go of and move on, I expected the night to show him the true nature of monsters but he was a most stubborn one indeed." he said rather annoyed before focusing on me with hatred and venom, "However, as I grew close to winning him over, that strategy failed the moment you arrived!" He yelled pointing at me "The moment YOU won over his feeble mind and heart with your so called trust and bonds with your monsters, my entire plan was resulted in a complete and utter failure!" he screamed.

"Gee, I feel so bad for ruining your efforts to seize the throne Enigma…NOT!" I retorted feeling it was exactly what he deserved.

"Oh you will be sorry," he added, "In fact because you won over his heart and approval, I was left with no other choice but to remove him from the picture!" He grinned showing he had absolutely no regret when he committed the act, "Once he was gone and you were branded a criminal, I believed you dear Ikuchi," He said turning back to her, "To have no one else to turn to. With no one to shelter your sadness and pain, so I assumed you to be a simple doll, easy to manipulate and bend to my own will." He then scowled, "But I was wrong, you actually changed ever since you met this boy! You've gotten stronger, more determined and a sense of justice….how revolting, to think you were once adorable to me." Ikuchi then narrowed her eyes even mire furious and determined than before, something Enigma tried hard to prevent but ultimately failed, "But now it seems I am left with no other choice but to take control of the kingdom with fear and power! And rule with an iron fist!"

"That will never happen Enigma!" Ikuchi and I yelled as we were just about to take action.

"Oh really? Is that what you think? How about you observe and see for yourself how your efforts to save this miserable kingdom were ultimately in vain!" Raising his staff he created a mirror to the outside world and depicted the battle going on outside the castle between my flight of dragons and his entire army. At first we were beginning to push them back and their forces began to buckle, but suddenly as Enigma's crystal glowed, each and everyone of the remaining monsters and soldiers gained a silly dark aura around them! Their eyes glowed red and they went completely out of control (Like in the card berserker soul) and with her newfound power and strength they began to push forward stronger than ever!

The tide of the battle soon began to turn and as my smaller dragons began to fall from the sky after being overpowered, my larger ones were begging to show signs of exhaustion and weakness, even collapsing to the ground!

"No!" Ikuchi and I gasped together. As Ikuchi stared in horror it was just like how she saw it years ago on the night of the 2 stars. Only now, it was on a much larger scale, making the previous incident look tame in comparison.

"At this rate they won't be able to hold the fort much longer!" I breathed worrying for my own friends who were fighting on the frontline now.

"If that happens….Norvagen will fall!" Ikuchi cried in horror and worry.

"That is merely the beginning of what is to come!" Enigma interrupted, "I was once satisfied with the conquest of Norvagen and the world, but now it isn't enough! Oh no, not even close. My ambitions have grown far too much for this one world alone to satisfy me. So then I thought, why simply rule one world as king when I could conquer all 5 worlds at once!"

His next few words came as a complete shock to me, "What did you say!?" I gasped in alarm.

"5 worlds!?" Ikuchi followed just as bewildered.

"Take a good look." He then shifted the mirror to the outside to one which depicted the 4 worlds of fusion, synchro, xyz and pendulum, with ritual just being side by side to pendulum dimension.

I took a few steps back in disbelief at what I was seeing and questioned myself s to how he knew of this, "No way…."

"It came as a surprise to me at first I admit, the idea of a traveller from another world seemed completely preposterous." Enigma said, "But recently, after I took a much closer look into the heart of my crystal, I discovered that it originated from 2 mighty dragons that were locked in a tremendous battle so large and cataclysmic it ripped apart world lost to time into 5 new worlds!" He proclaimed.

"He…actually knows about that…." I too was surprised by the fact.

"Ryuga?" Ikuchi asked, "You….know what he's talking about?"

Turning to her I began to sweat a little, "Oh boy….she's beginning to know too much…." I thought, "We'll talk about this later Ikuchi! I promise I will explain everything if we manage to make it out of this." She then nodded as we went back to focusing on the matter at hand.

"Now that I have the crystal's power completely at my disposal, I will finally be able to break through the boundaries of the dimensions beyond! I will seize control of each and every monster great and small in each realm and rule over everything as an almighty empire! No one, be it human, monster or even a deity, would be able to defy me!" he boasted.

"He plans to break into the other worlds and corrupt so many innocent monsters to serve him, and then do to them exactly what he did to Norvagen!?" Ikuchi gasped in alarm, she always knew Enigma was heartless but now he was a complete madman!

"No….that's just the tip of the iceberg Ikuchi…." I thought to myself. In my mind I envisioned a worse case scenario, where duel monsters of all kinds would ravage the cities and terrorise the people of all the other dimensions. All of the, lead by Enigma and his staff as the skies turned deep red and black with fore and smoke, the essence of destruction emanated in all parts of the multiverse! Any duelists that would dare try to use their monsters against him immediately had their best partners taken from them and turn against them! As Enigma laughed manically in my scenario, the silhouettes of 2 certain dragons appeared behind him through the smile and roared, as their cries of rage echoed through the 4 dimensions and their burning. "If he somehow manages to get ahold of either Supreme King Dragon Zarc or Divine Deity Dragon Dahaka from inside Yuya or me, or worse both of them….no one in the 5 dimensions will ever be safe….." I thought as I clenched my fist furiously, determined to prevent that from happening!

"That's it! You're completely out of your cord Enigma!" Ikuchi yelled finally having enough, "We'll stop your evil plans right here! Now and forever!" I soon mirrored her stance and expression as we were about to unleash our monsters to attack him without hesitation.

"Stop me? Ha! What nonsense do you babble about? There is no stopping me!" Enigma laughed in amusement, "Especially once I add your monsters to my army, then it will become absolute!" Directing his staff suddenly at us, he then fired a powerful energy stream from it which then ensured the both of us at once!

"AAAAARRRGGGHHH!"

"EEEEYYYAAAAHHHH!"

I could feel the cries of my own monster screaming from inside me as the wave of excruciating pain swept over us, trying to yank them out of my own soul! Next to me, Ikuchi was feeling the exact same pain as I was.

"Ahahahah! With all your monsters at my disposal, I will be unstoppable! So cease this pointless resistance or perish in the process! Either way I win!" Enigma cackled seeing his victory to be all but sealed!

I clenched my teeth tightly as I opened my eyes, "No….mustn't give up…" I grunted defiantly.

Ikuchi saw that i was willing to surrender either, and if I didn't there's no reason why she should, "We'll keep fighting to our last breath….And as long as we do…."

"You won't win!" We both yelled together as an aura of white light enveloped us!

GARRRRGGGHH! We yelled as we managed to repel the dark energy from the staff!

"Argh!" Enigma grunted as he was pushed back from the force, as he looked up he then widened his eyes, "Impossible! They managed to resist my staff's power!? But how!? That can't be!" He took a few steps back in disbelief as we faced him with determined expressions in our eyes, and still enveloped by the white aura, which was generated by our resolve and by our bond with our monsters.

As the wave of light enveloped the stone tablet with Leviathan inside it, she stirred and awoke, bewildered to find out what was happening before her eyes. It was fortunate she was still protected by the seal otherwise if she fell under Enigma's control our war would have been lost before we began.

"It is Enigma!" I yelled powerfully, "We have a bond with our monsters that can never be broken, especially not by the likes of you!"

"We believe in our closest friends and they grant us strength in turn! Making us strong enough to overcome you vile magic and trickery!" Ikuchi added, "That's something you'll never understand!" She called out pointing at him.

He then hardened his face and clenched his fist in anger, "Grrrr…..Once again you continue to infuriate me….This is not to be borne!" Standing up and putting aside his staff, Enigma knew this was where the gloves come off and it was time where he would have to use his full power, "Tch! It seems I am left with no other option….but to crush the both of you meddling insects in a duel! Prepare to go down in flames!" After he yelled he clamped on his newly upgraded diadhank as it unfolded itself.

"Exactly what we were thinking! Except you're the one who's going to lose!" I yelled more determined than ever as I armed my duel disk.

"After what you've done you definitely do not deserve the easy way out! Far from it! We're taking you down with full force and with the strength of all our monsters, no, our friends together!" Ikuchi yelled as she clamped on her diadhank and began to activate it.

"Here we go guys! For the sake of Ikuchi's kingdom, for the safety of the 5 dimensions and above all, for all the people and monsters we care about, we will take you down!" I said fiercely as my counterparts and 4 dragons within me burned with determination and resolve as I activated my duel disk.

"This is for my family and for ruining not only my life but also my homeland which I so live and cherished since birth!" Ikuchi announced, "Prepare yourself!" She then glared furiously as she activated her diadhank alongside my duel disk.

 **Field Spell, Crossover!**

As the bright blue space enveloped the shrine room and the floating platforms materialised all over the area, Enigma then burst into laughter, "Ahahahaha! How amusing….I shall look forward to seeing your faces with complete and utter despair when you both have lost all hope!"

While we faced off against our final and possibly most evil enemy of all, Bahamut narrowed his eyes and focused at the stone tablet which stood behind Enigma, "Leviathan, I promise I will save you from this madman, until then….stay strong and please give me strength."

As Leviathan heard Bahamut's cry from outside, she looked on from the prison of the tablet she was encased in with pleading eyes, "Bahamut…..My love…..Please win this….for everyone we swore to protect.…and…for Zarc and Dahaka….." she said softly while praying deeply for our victory.

 **And there's chapter 16, so I hope you enjoyed this plot filled episode which ties it to the rest of the Arc V anime. It just shows even in death Zarc and Dahaka still live on in another world, and how their powers were used by Enigma to set forth the events leading up until now. How Dhaka's light empowers and connects with the hearts of monsters while Zarc's darkness is the opposite and corrupts them. Hope you were pleased with this as it took a while to come up with. Stay tuned as the final duel goes underway for the fate of the dimensions once more at stake, hope to see you all soon!**


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Before we begin our little game, I would first like to make one small request." Enigma suddenly asked out of the blue before we could begin.

"What kind of request?" Ikuchi asked curiously.

"Forget it Ikuchi, it's obvious he's planning something sneaky! I just know it!" I said to her with caution. I mean who wouldn't be? This is Enigma we're talking about, he's the perfect definition of sneaky and after all.

"Now now, let's not jump to any premature conclusions, I haven't had a chance to voice myself just yet." He said back to me with a sly smirk, "I shall admit you're right to be not to trust me, but I can promise you that all I ask for is nothing too significant, in fact you won't even notice it, let alone affect the rules of the duel. In fact, since it is both of you against myself alone, I think it's only fair I at least have one slight handicap. After all, it's the only way true justice can be served if both sides are on an equal footing? Am I correct hmmm?"

"We're…listening…." I then replied deciding to at least hear his terms.

"That's all I needed from you." He replied, "Firstly we each shall start with 4000 life points and to be fair no one may be allowed to wage battle against another player during any of their first turns. However, my rule is that since I am duelling alone, all I ask is that I be allowed to draw 2 cards during each of my draw phases. A request such as this is acceptable is it not hmm?"

We then looked to each other and discussed for a moment "So what do you think Ryuga? Should we let him?" Ikuchi asked me.

"I suppose it's fairly reasonable, I mean it isn't anything drastic like starting with a life point advantage or something like that." Turning my focus back to our enemy, "Very well Enigma, we accept your terms." I said to him

"Mhm." Ikuchi nodded in agreement.

Enigma grinned maliciously, "Hehehe, accepting my terms was your first mistake….and when I am through with you, it shall be your last." He thought to himself before commencing the duel, "Very well then! If there any more further interruptions, let's-"

DUEL!

 **Enigma: 4000**

 **Ryuga: 4000**

 **Ikuchi: 4000**

"Ikuchi," I said to her, "Got any tips on what to expect from him?" I asked.

She then shook her head in response, "I'm sorry Ryuga, but, I've never seen Enigma duel before in my life." Ikuchi replied, "We both have to stay alert, who knows what he has planned." She said to me, which I responded with an acknowledging nod.

"I shall start!" Enigma announced without wasting a second longer, "Hope you 2 children are ready for the horrors I have in store for you!" he called out, "Indeed, I have been planning for this very moment, as soon as they get so much as a taste of my new deck's power the 2 of them shall be on their knees begging for my nonexistent mercy soon enough!" He grinned to himself while in deep thought. He then paused for a moment as he began to plan his move from here, "Hmm….I could easily summon one of my stronger monsters now, but luring them into a false sense of security would be a far more effective approach at this point. After all, there's nothing I enjoy more than allowing my opponents to get ahead and think they are winning, before I crush them and their spirit in an instant!" He smirked before turning to one of his card slates, "To start things off I will place a monster in facedown defence mode." A facedown monster card slate appeared on the field, "Then I will place 3 cards facedown, ending my turn." 3 more slates fell forward.

I then raised an eyebrow, "That's strange."

"What?" Ikuchi asked looking at me.

"Enigma talks a big game yet set up a small defence on his field….Either he underestimates us, overestimates his skills or he is plotting something…." I answered.

"Either way we can't let our guard down for even a second." she replied.

"Oh children!" Enigma called out catching our attention, "Didn't you know that hesitation is a sign of weakness? Is it that you're too afraid of my power, that you've frozen in fear and lost the will to fight hmm?"

Ikuchi and I then narrowed our eyes while I grit my teeth in anger, "Far from it Enigma!" I shouted, "But if it's a fight you want then it's fight you're going to get! Don't say we didn't warn you! I'm next! Draw!" As I drew a new card i then shifted to a different one in my hand, "First I activate the graceful charity spell card! This allows me to add 3 extra cards from my deck, in exchange for sending 2 to the graveyard." I drew 3 cards then discarded 2, "Next, I play my pot of greed! This allows me to draw 2 more cards from my deck." When I drew my 2 cards and looked at them, I knew I had to put together the strengths of all my other selves into this duel if we were to win this and save everyone in the 5 realms, concentrating hard I managed to summon every ounce of strength they could give me…."Here we go! I use scale 1 Magician dragon and Scale 12 Gliaforce to set the pendulum scale!" I declared using the 2 cards I drew and laying them across my duel disk! PENDULUM lit up and both my monsters rose in pillars of light. "With my set scale I can summon monsters from levels 2-11 simultaneously!"

"Oh my…." Ikuchi gasped seeing that scale to be the largest she's ever seen.

"Impressive…." Enigma smirked, "Is what I would say, but I expected nothing less from the one who brought pendulum to our world hehe."

I then narrowed my eyes at his smug remark, clearly he didn't know what he wa saying or who he was messing with, "I'll wipe that smirk right off your face with this! Mighty power filled with limitless potential, carve the path of hope that shall lead to victory! I pendulum summon! Come forth my loyal monsters!" 4 lights shot out from the portal generated, "Appear! Dragon caller magician!" The powerful sorceress in a dragon themed outfit took to the field, "And now Odd eyes observer dragon, parsec the interstellar dragon and swarzchild limit dragon!" The 3 dragon monsters took to the field around dragon caller. "Dragon caller magician's effect activates! Until the end of this turn, she's treated as a dragon type monster!" The magician then gained an aura which changed into a dragon shape and enshrouded her. "Next! I play magician dragon's pendulum effect! Once per turn by banishing a normal or quick play spell from my graveyard, I can then activate that card's effect as this card's pendulum effect! I banish Harmonic synchro Fusion, which allows me to synchro and fusion summon simultaneously using monsters I control! I'll use this card's effect on dragon caller and odd eyes!" Both monsters split into a pair of copies as the spell glowed.

"Oh? From a pendulum summon into a simultaneous synchro and fusion summon?" Enigma smirked.

"Amazing!" the princess cheered in awe.

"First! I tune level 1 Odd eyes observer dragon to my level 7 dragon caller magician!" The small ancient dragon changed into a single ring for the magician to fly through, "Guided by the winds and the wisdom of the ancients, spread your wondrous wings and lead the world into the bright future! I synchro summon! Appear! Level 8! Fafnir! Ascending Wyvern of the Gales!" Fafnir took to the air from the light and flashed her wings before landing on the ground, "Next I fuse odd eyes observer dragon with dragon caller magician!" Both monsters rose into the air and fused as red and blue orbs before fusing together, "Ancient dragon of dual coloured eyes, illuminate the light within the dark sorceress whose heart is one with you, and unleash the queen of darkness from within! I fusion summon! Appear! Claws of the dragon overlord! Level 8! Tiamat! Infernal Hydra of the Apocalypse!" Tiamat rose out of the shadows and let out a terrifying shriek before stating next to her sister!

"I can't wait to sink my teeth and claws into that meat bag…." Tiamat hissed aggressively, for if there was one thing she really enjoyed, it was making those who really deserved it suffer most dearly. Fafnir would normally restrain her, but seeing Enigma was on an entirely new level of evil, she decided to make it an exception.

"2 dragons with 3000 attack points on his first turn. Incredible…" Ikuchi gasped in admiration while taking a few steps back.

"I remember those monsters, you used them during your duel with Jilen." Enigma stated as he looked at both dragons with a smirk, "However, if you're truly going to give this duel your very best, then I assume you're far from finished?"

"You are correct." I answered, "Why stop at 2 mighty dragons when I can have 3!"

Ikuchi's eyes widened when she realised what I could do with my remaining 2 monsters, "No way! He's going to-"

"Finally! I overlay my level 8 swarzchild limit dragon and level 8 parsec the interstellar dragon!" Both space dragons changed into yellow and purple orbs before diving into the xyz portal! "Great protector of the peaceful land, hear the prayers of its people who call upon you to aid them in battle! I xyz summon! Rise! The tail of the dragon keeper! Rank 8! Jormangandr! Mighty Basilisk of Quakes!" My powerful earth dragon rose from the ground and let out a thunderous roar upon arrival which shook the earth and room violently!

"We shall protect this world and our homes with all our strength!" he roared.

"From pendulum into synchro, fusion and xyz….." Ikuchi was completely speechless in sight of all 3 powerful guardian dragons on the field, united in thought to end Enigma's evil plan once and for all. No way we could lose now she thought.

Enigma however showed no signs of worry at all, instead he began praising me and my monsters, "I must say, I am most impressed by your demonstration. It would seem that I already am at a huge disadvantage now doesn't it?" he said trying to show respect.

Naturally he wouldn't be acting so calm and confident if he didn't already expect this. Otherwise he wouldn't have even challenged both me and Ikuchi to a duel, something definitely was up and I didn't like it, "I don't know what your game is Enigma, but I'm not buying it for a second." I spat, "Now I end my turn, and because it has reached the end phase my gliaforce's pendulum effect now activates! Now I can draw cards from my deck for each dragon type monster I special summoned this turn! I summoned a total of 6 dragons, so I may draw 6 cards!" I grabbed a handful of cards from the top of my deck, restocking my entire hand.

"Then it's my turn now!" Ikuchi declared as she began her turn and drew a card slate from the ground, "Prepare yourself Enigma! For Ryuga is no longer the only one here who knows how to utilise more than a single summoning method!" She announced with eyes brimming with confidence.

"Oh? Is that so?" He smirked, "Well then my dear, why don't you enlighten me then on this new power you so claim to have obtained."

"With pleasure!" She answered back, "First I summon the tuner monster, Deep sea abyss snake!" The large green finned water snake appeared from the stone tablet as it glowed and released the monster from it, "When successfully summoned, Abyss snake allows me to special summon a water monster from my deck whose level is 3 or lower! And I choose my red eyes salamander!" The snake curled its body into a long circle, generated a large pool of water from it slime coat, causing the large amphibious beast to rise from it and onto the field.

"Whoa, is she actually going to do it again?" I thought remembering the move she pulled off a while back at the woods.

"This we have to see…." Fafnir added looking forward to it.

"I activate my sea snake's special ability! By discarding a card from my hand I can perform a contact fusion summon with it and another monster on my field!" she announced, and as her 2 monsters started glowing, the extra deck box which she clipped to the side of her clothes began to glow! "So by discarding my magical spring from my hand, I now fuse both my monsters together into one!" Both monsters rose into the air and fused as blue and green lights! "Serpent of the dark underwater chasm, amphibious beast who rules the poisonous swamps, merge both your mastery of water to draw forth the great ruler of the ocean! I fusion summon! Rise form the deep! Level 6! Poseidon! The Majestic Marine dragon!" A large pillar of water erupted from the ground as the large plesiosaur appeared from it!

"I'm not done yet! When fusion summoned while a card in the field zone is present, in this case Ryuga's crossover, Poseidon allows me to immediately revive the 2 monsters I fused together into order to summon him! So rise once more my 2 water monsters!" She commanded as Poseidon generated a whirlpool before him which the 2 initial monsters shot out from! "Now I tune level 3 Deep Sea abyss snake to my level 3 red eyed salamander for a synchro summon!" The snake coiled around into multiple loops before changing into 3 rings for the salamander to leap through! "Serpent who sleeps in the depths of the sea, rise up to oppose all who disturb your tranquil slumber! I synchro summon! Appear! Level 6! Surging serpent Yurlungur!" The powerful sea dragon erupted from the light of synchro and took to the field alongside Poseidon.

"Now my red eyed salamander's special ability activates! When used in a synchro summon with a fish, sea serpent or aqua tuner monster, both it and the tuner monster are revived from the watery grave! So rise up to the surface once more!" Both monsters rose out from the water generated by the already present fusion and synchro monsters, "Finally, I build the overlay network with level 3 salamander and abyss snake!" Ikuchi declared as they both turned into blue lights and doe into the xyz portal, "Mermaid who rules the sea from the great empire of Atlantis, rise up and lead your army to defend your domain from those who defile the oceans most sacred! I xyz summon! Appear! Rank 3! Aquarius! Empress of the Oceans!"

"She managed to pull it off a second time, in exactly the same way on top of that. Well done Ikuchi, well done." I thought to myself with a pleased smile seeing how fluently she was able to do it.

"Well Enigma? Still see me as the frightened and helpless girl you tormented years ago?" She said confidently as her team of extra deck monsters took their stand alongside my dragons.

As Enigma looked upon the entire lineup being set against him, he suddenly broke out into uncontrolled laughter, "Hehehehe Ahahahahahaha!"

"Wh…what's so funny!?" she called out in shock and anger, thinking he would find his own more situation amusing.

He then started clapping, "Bravo my dear princess! You have certainly taken up arms much better than I expected." he praised, "In fact, your performance is so convincing I almost want to applaud….almost….hahaha!"

"How generous of you…." she scoffed, "Too bad the feeling isn't mutual! I'm going to use every ounce of this power Ryuga has given me to set things right once and for all!" She called out, "As long as Poseidon remains on the field all opposing monsters lose 300 attack and defence points for every Water monster I control! With 3 that means all your monsters lose 900 points each!" Poseidon then generated a powerful wave of water energy which enveloped the field which would weaken any monster that steps onto the soaked field."Now I play the spell shield crush!" Another stone tablet of hers flipped forward, "With it I can destroy one monster in defence mode that's on the field! With that I now destroy your only defence!" The spell flipped forward and shot a beam through the facedown monster causing it to explode!

"Alright! Now he's wide open!" I cheered praising her, but before Ikuchi could enjoy herself Enigma said something which began to change everything.

"Why thank you, you've done exactly what I hoped you would." he replied sinisterly.

"Wh…what?"

"The monster you just destroyed was my dragon dowser!" The soul of the monster rose from the ground revealing itself as a small dragon hanging at the end of a pendulum string, "You triggered its ability the moment you destroyed it! And if it's ever destroyed I can special summon an earth monster from my deck in defence mode! But not just any earth monster, an earth PENDULUM monster to be precise!"

We couldn't believe what we just heard, "What did you say!?"

"Pendulum!? That can't be possible!" Everyone else in the room was completely caught off guard by what Enigma said.

He grinned at out distraught expressions, seeing them as exactly the reactions he was hoping for, "You think I am bluffing? Just wait and see! With dragon dowser's effect I call forth a creature which was forged from the deepest, darkest nightmares of Norvagen's inhabitants! Arise Amorphage Envy!" As dragon dowser's ashes collected together they soon took form into a monster that would only exist in your nightmares. What appeared was a bluish squid like monster which was also merged with a dragon, which screeched and snarled hideously as its tentacled lashed out and disgusting drool dripped from its jaws. The very sight of it was something we definitely did NOT expect at all….

Scanning it with my duel disk I couldn't believe what I was seeing, "It really is a pendulum monster…." I gasped in amazement that pendulum actually existed outside our own dimension.

On the other hand, each of my dragons became filled with mixed emotions of agitation, rage or anxiety in face of the monster before them. The beast before them gave off waves of negative emotion which seemed to affect them somehow. "I told myself once that I would never hate another a dragon, not even Tiamat, but now….I take back what I said…." Fafnir said in disgust of the abomination before us, that roared and shrieked in conflict with the animal parts that protruded and writhed out from its body.

"B…But how!?" Ikuchi gasped, "The use of pendulum monsters requires an extra deck and a set of pendulum zones! The diadhank doesn't have such capabilities!"

Enigma then clutched his face and began to laugh, "Hahaha! How easily you forget my lady….." He then grinned maliciously at the both of us, "I was the one who created the diadank from the very beginning! Did you really think I wouldn't be able to make modifications and allow myself to acquire new power as well hmmm?" he gloated arrogantly, "In fact, it was thanks to you both falling for my stall earlier while I revealed my plans, that I was able to buy myself the time I needed to complete my new and improved diadhank as well as my monsters! Forged using the power of my crystal and the dragons that it was born from, now all the powers that were once unavailable to the ritual dimension are now mine to unleash at will!" He announced to out horror.

"Tch! He was playing us from the start!" I clicked my tongue in frustration, "It seems Dahaka and Zarc's powers weren't the only things he managed to acquire…..somehow he even obtained pendulum through them…."

"E…Even so…Your monster loses 900 points thanks to my Marine dragon's ability!" Ikuchi stuttered uneasily as the water generated by Poseidon began to drain the dragon of its stamina.

 **2050-1150 (Defence)**

"Hmph, it matters not to me, as the monster summoned by this effect will destroy itself during the end phase." Enigma scoffed undettered.

"In that case, I end my turn with a facedown." Ikuchi concluded setting a card slate, "Now your hideous monster now leaves the field!" As she finished the hideous squid dragon exploded and was absorbed into Enigma's diadhank, where a chamber opened up at its base.

He then grinned once more, "Which is exactly what I predicted! Now I activate my trap card! Balance of judgement!" One of his 3 stone slates flipped up, "Should my opponent control more cards than I do on my field or in my hand, I draw cards equivalent to that surplus! As of now I control 3 cards and 1 in my hand, however, as I am alone against 2 opponents, you both control 9! Overall, the final result is 6, so I draw 6 cards!" A new line of slates erupted from the ground, "Then I activate my second trap! Extra buck!" The second trap flipped up, "Each time a monster is added to my extra deck, this trap gains a spell counter! Once 3 are gathered, I can send it to the graveyard in order to draw 2 cards!" A light rose from the ground before being absorbed into the spell.

"Not good!" I gasped.

"Why is that?" Ikuchi asked me curiously.

"Pendulum monsters go to the extra deck instead of the graveyard when they are destroyed….." I answered.

Her eyes widened, "Th…that means!"

"Exactly!" Enigma answered, "As I now possess pendulum monsters at my disposal, it will not be long until my trap becomes fully charged and I will be able to add 2 more additional cards to my hand when the time comes! Which I truly must be thanking you."

"Grrrr!" The 2 of us grunted in frustration at him taking advantage of our moves and using them against us.

"Don't be like that," he said, "You should be honoured to fall by my hand thanks to the power I have acquired from you! My only regret is that neither of you will have the privilege or chance to watch as I enslave every monster and human in all of the 5 worlds, soon all will bow down before me and call me master!" he boasted arrogantly, "But for now, it's my turn now! And thanks to our agreement, I draw 2 cards!" 2 new slates appeared from the ground, giving him a massive hand of 9 cards! "Hehehe! Now for you to pay the price for YOUR mistake, of thinking you could challenge ME to a duel!" he chuckled taking a spell from his hand, "First, I play double spell! By discarding one of the spells in my hand, I'm allowed to activate a spell from your graveyard. And I think your pot of greed will serve me well, allowing me to draw 2 cards this turn."

"Tch!" I hissed as my spell soon took the place of his card slate and allowed him to draw..

"But wait, that's not all, when card of compensation is sent from my hand to the graveyard I can draw 2 more cards!" Soon a total of 4 card slates erupted from the ground due to his combo!

"It's the beginning of his turn and he's already obtained 4 new cards…." I muttered under my breath as we could only look on. Ikuchi now began to sweat uneasily seeing how terrifyingly skills Enigma actually was. Thoughts of doubt began to fill her mind and heart, taking the place of her initial confidence and courage.

Enigma then proceeded with his turn, aiming to take full advantage of his arsenal, "Now I activate the spell monster reborn! With this card's effect I revive my dragon dowser!" The spell glowed and the previous destroyed monster appeared from the ground. "Then I activate the spell Ties of the brethren! By paying a thousand life points, and targeting a level 4 monster on my field I can special summon 2 monsters from my deck with the same attribute and level as they are, under the condition that they cannot attack or tributed." The spell glowed as he infused it with a portion of his life points, causing it to shine on dragon dowser.

 **Enigma: 4000-3000**

"I select my Earth attribute dragon dowser, now arise my servants! Amorphage Wrath and Amorphage Pride!" Rising from the shadows created from the card rose a pair of grotesque dragons, one infused with a wolf and the other with an eagle! The sight of them was beginning to make me feel uneasy and Ikuchi began to grow even more fearful.

"What disgusting vile demons!" Fafnir growled aggressively. Even Tiamat and Jormangandr were getting nervous and agitated just being in their presence, in fact they just couldn't wait to see those hideous imitations of dragons be destroyed!

"But if they can't attack or be tributed they'll simply be easy targets for an attack! Especially since they are in attack mode and are made weaker thanks to Poseidon!" Ikuchi called out trying to act brave as the waters in the room began to sap the hideous dragons of their strength.

 **1650-750**

 **1750-850**

 **1500-600**

"I agree, none of this makes any sense." I followed feeling suspicious, "How exactly do you plan to make use of them that way?"

"Hmph! Mere infants like yourselves could never fully comprehend the strategies of a genius like myself!" he scoffed before smirking once more, "But allow me to show you and perhaps maybe you'll learn the proper way to use your monsters correctly after following my example!" He then turned to another of his card slates, "First I activate a continuos spell! Amorphage Infection!" The spell flipped forward and glowed along with the 2 amorphage dragons, "While this remains face up, for every amorphage card on the field, my amorphage monsters gain 100 attack and defence points! With 3 now out, my monsters gain 300 points!"

 **750-1050**

 **850-1150**

"Next I activate pendulum card burst!" A familiar spell card I only saw Yuya use then appeared on the field, "By destroying 2 pendulum monsters on my field I may draw 2 cards! Now I destroy both Wrath and Pride!" Both dragons then shrieked in pain before the spell exploded!

Ikuchi then covered her mouth in surprise at the turn of events, "He….he just threw away his own monsters like garbage! H…How could he!?" she cried filled with anger and shock.

"I know why…." I answered with frustration seeing everything was falling into place for our opponent.

"Very perceptive," Enigma complimented as his extra buck glowed with 2 more lights absorbed into it, "Now with 2 more new cards added to my extra deck, my trap card Extra buck now is fully charged with 3 spell counters! Which means I can send it to the graveyard to draw another 2 cards from my deck!" The trap exploded and its ashes rejoined into a pair of new card slates, "Now Infection's second effect activates! Once per turn when one of my monsters is destroyed or tributed, I can add one Amorphage card from my deck into my hand!" A new slate appeared from the ground after being generated from the spell, "And I choose another Amorphage Envy!"

"He summoned those monsters just to destroy them and gain 5 cards!" Ikuchi cried out.

"This is bad…." I followed.

"Ahahaha! You don't even know the half of it you naive children!" Enigma laughed maniacally as he proceeded to the main event, "Let's see how you like this! The power of your greatest weapon becoming your own downfall!" As he declared so, 2 of his cards flipped forward and glowed as spells, as suddenly 2 extra compartments opened up on his diadhank! (Like an extra deck in a duel disk) "I use scale 3 Amorphage Pride and scale 5 Amorphage Gluttony and set my pendulum scale!" Both his monsters vanished and were absorbed into the 2 compartments which then glowed and unleashed both hideous dragons rising up in pillars of light!

"His diadhank has pendulum zones just like he said….so he can actually pendulum summon too….." I gasped as we all looked up at the glowing scales of 3 and 5.

"With the set scale I can summon multiple level 4 monsters! Greatest forces of dark and chaotic origin! Heed my call and give me this power to smite all who would dare oppose me! Pendulum summon! Come forth my loyal servants!" A portal opened from the sky as 4 lights shot out from it, "Return to me! Amorphage Wrath, Pride and 2 Amorphage Envy!" The 4 hideous dragon monsters covered Enigma's side of the field, hissing menacingly upon their revival (Excluding one envy which came from his hand).

"I don't believe it…."

"He's gained a full field…." We were utterly speechless by the sudden play Enigma just made.

"How does it feel? To have your greatest weapon being used against you, and very soon, I will use it to conquer many worlds and civilisations beyond! Ahahahaha!" he laughed mockingly.

I then grasped my fist tightly in anger at his outrageous remark, "Grrr! Not on our watch Enigma! We'll never let you use pendulum summoning for evil as long as we stand here!"

"We vow to put an end to your scheme right here and now! This I swear as princess of Norvagen!" Ikuchi proclaimed.

"Oh? You actually intend to stop me? Surely you jest!" he chuckled in amusement.

"We don't!" Ikuchi retorted furiously, "Especially since Poseidon once again weakens every single one of your monsters making them powerless!" The water once again drained Enigma's monsters of their energy.

 **2050-1150 (Defence)**

 **2050-1150 (Defence)**

 **1750-850**

 **1650-750**

 **1500-600**

"We shall see who's powerless soon enough, for I activate the trap Amorphage Lysis!" He announced as he opened up another facedown card slate, "Now allow me to explain the predicament that you both have gotten yourselves into, first thanks to Amorphage Infection my monsters now gain 800 points as there are 8 amorphage cards on the field, including the ones in my pendulum zones!" The Spell glowed and powered up the 4 mutated dragons causing them to regain nearly all the points they lost!

 **1150-1950 (Defence)**

 **1150-1950 (Defence)**

 **850-1650**

 **750-1550**

"As for my Amorphage Lysis, now all YOUR monsters lose the same number of points for every one of my Amorphage cards!" he announced to our horror as the trap shot out a virus stream which began to infect all our monsters!

"What!?" I looked on as my dragons began to growl and shriek in pain before suddenly melting to my disgust!

 **3000-2200**

 **3000-2200 (Defence)**

 **3000-2200**

"AAAARRRRGGHH!"

"The pain! It hurts…..!"

"My body! My beautiful body! I'm melting!"

"Guys!" I gasped as their scales began to liquify and even lumps of bone began to stick out in various areas. Never before had I seen such a horrendous sight in my life. As I turned to my side I could see each of Ikuchi's monsters were suffering the same melting problem as my dragons were….and believe me it was no less terrifying.

 **1000-200**

 **1900-1100**

 **2000-1200**

"That's just disgusting!" Ikuchi cried out feeling sick and for her monsters who writhed in pain. Turning back to his field, Enigma's dragon dowser was also melting into almost nothing due to his own trap, "You…You're unforgivable!" she yelled at him being heartless to even his own monster.

 **600-0**

Little did we know was that the trap was also hinting a possible weakness.

"Hahaha! Save the compliments for later, for I am far from finished," Enigma gloated disgustingly, "As of now my dragon dowser also suffers the effects of my amorphage lysis as he isn't an amorphage monster, but it matters not because he has served his purpose, there I have no more use for him." The weakened wyrm monster then exploded into sparkles, "I tribute my Dragon dowser to advance summon Amorphage Sloth from my hand in attack mode!" The sparkles reconstituted into a large yellow quadrupedal dragon merged with a bear which growled ferociously! As it landed in the water it began to lose some energy.

 **2250-1350**

"Now with amorphage infection while all your monsters lose 100 more attack points while mine gain another 100 attack points!"

 **1350-2150**

 **1950-2050 (Defence)**

 **1950-2050 (Defence)**

 **1650-1750**

 **1550-1650**

 **2200-2100**

 **2200-2100 (Defence)**

 **2200-2100**

 **200-100**

 **1100-1000**

 **1200-1100**

"Now to further tip the odds in my favour, I activate the field spell known as Amorphous Persona!" As the spell flipped forward and glowed (Forcing us to cover our eyes), the room we were in suddenly changed into a more temple like setting with a large rock in the centre, with a sword sticking out of it! "Glorious isn't it? With this field all my amorphage monsters are powered up by an extra 300 attack and defence points! Which means, my monsters are now about wage a series of powerful direct assaults on your life points soon enough!" He proclaimed while pointing to me as his dragons snarled ferociously, as the predators they were merged with began to awaken their predatory instincts!

 **2150-2450**

 **2050-2350 (Defence)**

 **2050-2350 (Defence)**

 **1750-2050**

 **1850-2150**

"Oh no…." I said feeling worried at Enigma's forces beginning to wage battle against me and my weakened dragons, but right at the last second he changed his mind.

"On second thought Ryuga, as much as I would love to destroy you here and now, I'm afraid you're merely a single luxury in a much bigger picture." He then grinned as he turned his attention towards Ikuchi to my horror!"

"Gasp!" she cried as his dragons prepared to unleash their attacks on her instead to the shock of me and my dragons!

"Don't you dare harm her!" I yelled angrily.

"Hahaha! Like you'll be able to stop me!" he laughed in response.

I then hopped onto my feet, "I won't let you!" I then yelled angrily as I ran to the side to grab an action card.

He then smirked deviously taking his staff from his cloak, "I'm afraid you don't have a choice!" Aiming it directly at me, his sceptre's crystal then fired a beam which hit me directly! Completely freeing every muscle in my body in place with a dark energy net!

"ARGH!" I yelled as i crashed to the ground! "C..can't…move….Y…You!" I hissed through my teeth.

"RYUGA!" Fafnir, Tiamat and Jormangandr cried. The virus had weakened them so severely they didn't have the strength to come to my aid, all they could do was watch on helplessly.

As Enigma looked on he grinned in amusement at my suffering! "That ought to hold you in place until this turn is over, can't have you pulling off any miracles now can we?"

"Ryuga no!" Ikuchi cried seeing me taking the hit.

"I'd concentrate on saving yourself first princess!" Enigma yelled out as she turned back to the duel.

"Gasp!" We all looked on helpless as Enigma prepared to launch his full scale assault on our friend.

"The first thing I'll do is attack your Ocean empress with my Amorphage Pride on the field! Destroy her!" The eagle dragon shrieked as it took to the sky and began to dive down at the helpless mermaid! Like a bird of prey about to pluck a fish from the water!

She tried to defend herself, "I….I activate Aquarius' special ability! When a water monster battles, by using one overlay unit, I can change its battle mode! And thanks to Yurlungur's effect, I can make all monsters on the field become water attribute! Which means your dragon now is forced into defence mode!"

"Oh no I think not!" Enigma snarkishly replied as both her monster suddenly gained a poisonous dark aura around them, shutting their effects down!

"Wh…what!? Why didn't it work!" she gasped.

"The answer is simple," Enigma said as he looked up to his amrophage gluttony which was glowing dark purple, "You see, as long as I control at least 1 Amorphage monster, my Amorphage Gluttony's pendulum effect prevents all other monsters other than Amorphage monsters from activating any of their special abilities! Which means your life points are about to take a direct hit!"

"No!" she cried as the eagle dragon succeeded in piercing through and ripping apart her helpless mermaid!

"AAAAGGGHHH!" she cried as the shockwaves from her monster's explosion heavily rattled her!

 **Ikuchi: 4000-1950**

"Urgh!" she then grunted as she struggled to stand up again.

"No! Ikuchi!" I gasped while my dragons looked on in horror and frustration in being so helpless. I tried to move myself out of the energy hold but to no avail, "Grrgh! Still can't move…." I grunted in pain.

"Don't worry!" She called out to me showing she was fine, "Now Yurlungur's effect comes into play! For every water monster in my graveyard, all monsters I have out gain 300 attack points! By destroying my Aquarius, I now have 3 water monsters in my graveyard, so now my remaining monsters gain 900 points each!" Her half melted sea serpent generated a blue aura which managed to partially rejuvenate itself and Poseidon.

 **1000-1900**

 **1100-2000**

"Not bad, but not good enough! Since one water monster has left the field, my monsters now gain back 300 points!" Enigma's remaining monsters regained some of their power as the energy draining water from Poseidon began to recede slightly.

 **2450-2750**

 **2350-2650 (Defence)**

 **2350-2650 (Defence)**

 **2050-2350**

 **2150-2450**

"Not good, at this rate they'll get back to full strength and become that much harder to take down!" I realised, "Must stop him…ugh…." Again I tried to break free of the energy net but still my efforts had no effect.

"My Amorphage Sloth now attacks your eyesore of a fusion monster! Destroy Poseidon the marine dragon!" He commanded as the bear dragon growled ferociously with both its heads before thundering forward! With ease it pounced onto of the large plesiosaur before biting into it!

"Grrgh!" Ikuchi grunted as she used her arm to shield her face from the explosion.

 **Ikuchi: 1950-1500**

"Now that your fusion monster is no longer on the field, now my monsters regain the 600 remaining points they lost!" The tide completely receded and now each of Enigma's horrible dragons were back to full strength and were more vicious than ever!

 **2750-3350**

 **2650-3250 (Defence)**

 **2650-3250 (Defence)**

 **2350-2950**

 **2450-3050**

"Oh no! Ikuchi's all exposed now!" I gasped in alarm.

"Not quite….Yurlungur now gains an extra 300 points now that his brother in arms has fallen…." Ikuchi replied back to me reassuringly, although there was now a hint of fear in her voice now.

 **1900-2200**

"It matters not! He is still outmatched by remaining dragon!" Enigma boasted as his remaining attack monster eagerly awaited its turn, "Finally! My amorphage wrath will destroy your last pitiful monster!" The wolf dragon howled before taking to the air and pouncing on Yurlungur, and then tearing it to pieces before Ikuchi!

"AAAAAAHHHHH!" she cried as she was knocked onto her back form the final attack!

 **Ikuchi: 1500-750**

"IKUCHI!" I cried before mustering every ounce of strength I had left, I broke free of the net and ran towards where she was lying, "H..Hey! Are you alright!? Come on! Say something!" I begged as she lay fainted in my arms.

"U…ugh…Y…yes….a little shaken…but I'm good. I've endured far worse….." she groaned weekly before I helped her to stand. I then gave her support before she was able to hold herself upright once more. Despite having by a thread, he was a fighter that's for sure.

"So much for all those lessons and new power you worked so hard and diligently to earn and gain, what a waste…." Enigma snickered from his side of the field as I turned and glared at him.

"Grrrr! You coward!" I yelled angrily as my own dragons began to snarl back despite being weakened themselves.

"Heheh! Isn't it natural to target the weakest link in battle? To think I saw you as an expert war strategist." he said before grinning in delight, "Still, had I known seen one tormented would cause you so much pain, I would have done so much sooner! Ahahaha!" He laughed which was really beginning to push me and my counterparts inside over the edge!

"I'll make you pay dearly for that Enigma! I promise you!" I yelled with everyone else giving me their remaining power.

"Oh I'm not so sure you will dear boy," he replied calmly as he turned to another card slate in his side, "And this facedown of mine shall see to it." He stated as he set it on the field, "One more thing you should know, while an amorphage remains on the field after being pendulum or flip summoned, you can't summon any monsters from the extra deck! Which further limits your options and your hopes of making a comeback! If you can even manage to that is hahaha!"

"Tch! Now he's planning to seal off our best monsters…." I clicked my tongue in frustration.

"That means we'll have to eliminate all those monstrosities first before they revive the next turn." Jormangandr added weakly.

"It's my turn now, and I'm going to make you pay you slime ball! My draw!" I drew my card and added it to my hand before focusing my eyes on his newly set card, "After what he said, no doubt that facedown card is nothing less than a sneaky trap….." I thought to myself as Ikuchi looked on, "To start I'll use Magician dragon's pendulum effect to banish pot of greed from my graveyard! Now I may draw 2 more cards to refresh my hand!" I drew a pair of new cards and then looked at my new hand, "Hmm…With the way things are there's no way I'll be able to win this without an action card….even with that sceptre….I'm just going to have to risk it!" Looking around I noticed an action card hanging above a floating platform in the room, "Alright….here goes!" I yelled as I charged towards it to Ikuchi's surprise.

Enigma then smirked, "Trying the same trick again? You never learn will you? Ha!" he then thrusted his staff

"I've got to outrun that thing somehow…." I thought to myself as I barely managed to avoid the incoming blasts from his staff on my way to the platform! Suddenly one blast came in while I was leaping up midair and I widened my eyes in shock as it neared me!

"Oh no!"

"Ryuga!" Ikuchi cried before closing her eyes and looking away.

"Not this time!" Tiamat snarked as she thrusted herself into the beams way and absorbed it through her chest eye!"

"What!? Your monster shielded you!?" Enigma gasped in alarm, clearly underestimating their persistence and determination.

"Oh my….." Ikuchi said as she opened her eyes to see the bond between me and my monsters.

"Even in this weekend state….I will never allow you to harm my master!" she roared in pain before taking me down from the platform, once I managed to grab the action card hanging there.

"Phew…thanks Tiamat….." I breathed in relief, "I owe you one for this." Of all my dragons out now who were weakened and drained of power, she was the one to save me…..That was a definite eye opener for me.

"Just promise me you'll take that swine down by any means necessary." she asked to which I nodded in response.

"You can count on it." I replied to her.

Enigma then gnashed his teeth in frustration at the turn of events, clearly throwing his plan slightly off course, "Tch! Then I suppose I will have to destroy you all! Not just you meddling brats, but your precious monsters that you love and treasure so dearly to your miserable little hearts!" he yelled in fury!

"We'll see about that! The card I just obtained is one that will end this duel here and now!" I declared as I played it, "I activate the action spell Invisibility! This turn one monster on the field is unaffected by other card effects this turn! And I choose Tiamat!" The spell gave my dragon ghost skin as she began to heal and become restored to normal.

"Ahhh…that's much better…." she breathed in relief as her strength returned and her scales began to take form after being melted.

 **2100-3000**

"Now one of my dragons is free from the effects of your cards and is now able to unleash its full power against you and your vile dragon imposters!" I then turned to her, "Tiamat! Let's end this now!"

"With pleasure Ryuga!" she grinned eagerly, "I'll how him the true meaning of oppression and pain!" She then opened both her jaws and charged up a purple energy beam in one and a black flame in the other.

"At this moment, dragon caller magician's ability activates!" I announced, "When used as material for an extra deck monster, that monster now has the ability to double its attack points when it battles a dragon type monster during the damage step! Which your amorphages just so happen to be!"

"Oh wow! That means when she attacks her strength shall automatically become 6000!" Ikuchi gasped in awe.

"There's more!" I added, "Tiamat herself has the power to attack twice! And when she battles an opponent's special summoned monster, she reduces the attack strength of that monster to 0 during the damage step!"

"Alright! And with his hydra shielded by invisibility, Enigma's facedown card won't have any effect against her!" Ikuchi realised believing this could be the deciding move!

"Tch!" Enigma grunted in annoyance.

"End this now Tiamat! Apocalypse Eraser!" I commanded as she fired her double beam attack towards the hideous dragons on the other side of the field!

As the beam approached Enigma kept his frustrated scowl before suddenly turning it into a smirk at the last minute, "Hehehe….you really are a fool if you think it's over so easily."

BOOM!

A massive cloud of dust erupted after the beams exploded and hit their marks. "Did we get him?" I asked Tiamat and the others as they tried hard to focus through the smog. As it began to clear, we were shocked to see a wall of pillars had erupted from the ground, apparently had blocked the incoming blasts from Tiamat, leaving Enigma completely untouched!

"A valiant effort but for nothing I'm afraid." Enigma smirked as the pillars dissolved.

"B…But how!?" I gasped, "You should have no life points left after that!"

"Right before your attack made contact, I triggered the trap Amorphous barrier!" He revealed the facedown which he set last turn, "If I control at least 3 monsters when you attack, this trap automatically ends the battle phase. But nice try though."

"Grrrr….." Tiamat growled angrily.

"Tch! Even with invisibility we still couldn't even make a dent in his life points…." I followed just as angry.

"We were so close too…." Ikuchi added feeling discouraged after being so sure we would have won.

Enigma suddenly exploded into laughter while clutching his face, "Pfft! Hahahaha!"

"What's so funny?" I asked uneasily.

"It's hilarious! You actually believed your pitiful attack ever had a chance of even reaching me. 'You were so close' you say? To tell you the truth, you were never close at all!" he proclaimed which further annoyed me, seriously I was getting sick of hearing him talk and even more so of him laughing. Ikuchi on the other hand began to shudder even more so, as feelings of doubt and worry began to fully take hod of her spirit unbeknownst to me.

"Keep talking like that, it's still 2 against one and it's still my turn!" I yelled before looking back to my hand, "Alright, time to bring out the big guns…." I thought as I proceeded with my next move, "Now I pendulum summon once more!" A single light shot out from the portal, "Appear! The embodiment of my resolve! Bahamut! Sacred dragon of Hope!" My ace dragon landed on the ground with a mighty roar alongside his siblings.

"About time you joined us brother." Fafnir groaned while the others looked to him relieved that he finally showed up.

"Forgive me for my late arrival," he apologised before facing our adversaries seriously, "But now with the 4 of us united, Enigma's reign of tyranny will end on this very day!" I then nodded in agreement.

"Is that what you think? How laughable! All you've done is assembled all your best monsters together, so I can crush them all at once! As well as your misplaced faith in them!" Enigma boasted, "Don't forget! Your new monster now loses points for every Amorphage card I control thanks to Amorphage Lysis!" The trap fired its virus stream once more and infected Bahamut! Causing him to cough and roar in agony as the virus got to him!

 **3000-2100**

I then grit my teeth in frustration, "Even in their weekend states, you'll never overcome our bonds of friendship and hope Enigma!" I yelled, "And to make sure you don't try anything against Ikuchi once more, I'll place 2 cards facedown and end my turn." I set 2 cards on the field to ensure that Enigma wouldn't go after Ikuchi again, hopefully it would also buy us some time too. "Now that the end phase has been reached, due to Gliaforce's effect I draw 1 card." I drew a new card, "Invisibility's effect also ends…." I said reluctantly as the shield disappeared and my hydra once again became infected by Enigma's vile trap card!

 **3000-2100**

"Urgh…." she groaned weakly as she once again caught the bug!

"Sorry Tiamat, but next time we'll get him for sure!" I said to her reassuringly.

"I…ugh…look forward to that…." she replied with a weak smile.

I then turned to my partner, "Alright Ikuchi! It's your move now! Show him what you've got!" But in response to my encouraging and motivational words, what she responded with came as a surprise to me.

"I…I…." she gasped as she could barely move her arm to her diadhank.

"I…Ikuchi?"

"Urgh…I draw!" She called out as a new card slate appeared, but then she shook frantically looking at them, panicking over what she could do and worried what would happen if it failed or worse put me in even more danger! Not knowing what else she could do, "I….I end my turn…." she weakly replied.

"Oh no…she's scared…" I realised failing to take notice of her sooner. No doubt Enigma overcoming every move we throw at him, as well as backing us into a corner was no doubt getting to her….

Before I could say something to help her regain her spirit, Enigma began to laugh once more in amusement, "Ahahahahah! It's hilarious! Look at you! Whimpering and snivelling like a frightened child! Perhaps that bravado you demonstrated earlier was merely a shallow facade and no more. Almost, reminds me of that night years ago, and I can't wait to see it again once I've taken your only hope away!" he sneered before turning to me and my side of the field.

"Why you…." I hissed angrily at him indulging in her fear and suffering.

"I've toyed with you children long enough, it's now time I ended this little game and proceed with my plans of complete conquest and dimensional domination!" He declared, "I draw!" 2 new slates erupted from the ground, "Now that the standby phase has been reached, the second effect of my amorphage monsters now activates! In order to maintain their power, they each require a sacrifice, so I tribute both my Amorphage envy in order to pay their costs!" Both his squid dragons exploded into sparkles before being absorbed into his pendulum cards, "Since 2 amorphage monsters have left the field all my monsters lose 200 points while your monsters gain back 200 points," he said as all the stats of the monsters changed. While the amorphages calmed down slightly, my dragons started to feel some relief come over them with fewer of the virus infecting cards now present.

 **3350-3150**

 **2950-2750**

 **3050-2850**

 **2100-2300**

 **2100-2300**

 **2100-2300 (Defence)**

 **2100-2300**

 **3350-3150**

 **2850-2650**

"Now due to the effect of my field spell, amorphous persona, up to twice per turn when an amorphage monster has been tribute I may draw a card, so I now draw 2!" He announced eagerly.

"He's trying to restock his entire hand again…." Ikuchi said softly and still fear-stricken.

I then narrowed my eyes, I wasn't about to let him have his way for much longer! "Not if I can help it! I activate one of my facedown cards! Mystical space typhoon!" My facedown revealed itself, "With its power I now destroy the field spell Amorphous persona!" A strong wind blew out from the spell and destroyed the field returning it to the original shrine room setting it was.

"Hmph! How unfortunate…." Enigma scoffed disappointedly.

"Then I'll use magician dragon's pendulum effect in order to banish it from my graveyard and use its effect a second time!" I declared as the wind whirred out from Magician dragon's breath! "This time I'll destroy Amorphous infection!" I declared pointing out to the continuos spell which then destroyed it! "Now the points of all your monsters now return to their original value!"

 **3150-2250**

 **2950-1650**

 **3050-1750**

 **2300-2400**

 **2300-2400**

 **2300-2400 (Defence)**

 **2300-2400**

"Tch! You'll regret that…." Enigma muttered under his breath even more furiously.

"Enigma! We'll make you pay for hurting the spirits of our precious monsters! And not just that! Our irreplaceable friends!" I yelled which almost made him fall completely silent.

"Monsters and spirits friends?" he repeated before a shade covered his eyes. For a moment he said nothing which made me feel slightly uneasy, but then I nearly jumped as he suddenly looked up at me and flashed a pair of magical eyes on a sadistic looking grin, "Pfft! Hahahahahaha! How absolutely ridiculous!" he laughed uncontrollably, "Monsters aren't for being friends with! Let alone equals! Oh no, far from it! They're merely tools to get what you want! And right now, I shall use them to destroy the both of you!" he screeched as he looked to his hand and grinned in satisfaction, "Excellent! Now I have everything I need to end this little game right here and now!"

"Y..You're bluffing aren't you?" I asked nervously as Ikuchi took a few steps back while whimpering, almost as though she was beginning to have a heart attack, gasping for air like Reira did a long time ago when she was cornered by the obelisk force.

"You will soon see," he grinned as he began his turn, "Now I activate the spell **Draconian tactician**!" The spell tablet he played depicted Lord and Lady of D apparently playing a strategical board game (Like the one featured in Dragonic tactics) with their respective pets Divine dragons Ragnarok and Apocralyph next to them. "By tributing 2 dragon type monsters on my field I am then allowed to special summon a level 8 dragon type monster straight from my deck!"

"That doesn't sound good…." I thought worried for whatever hideous monstrosity he was about to call forth now, after what he showed us so far I wasn't exactly excited to meet another more powerful one.

"I tribute Amorphage Pride and wrath and in their place I call forth Amorphage Goliath!" The wolf and eagle dragons exploded into yellow sparkles and taking their place was a massive bipedal dragon with a sword sticking out from its body! Taking to the field it then roared menacingly, even making my dragons shudder slightly!

"That looks really powerful…." I breathed while Ikuchi fell back down, paralysed by fear. Even if I wanted to say something to help her, I doubt any sort of words or encouragement would get through to her in this situation.

 **2400-2500**

 **2400-2500**

 **2400-2500 (Defence)**

 **2400-2500**

"Now observe! The fruits of my long awaited glorious plan now finally about to ripen!" He declared as the field soon began to become enshrouded in dark miasma! Something was stirring, something that was beginning to make each of my dragons shudder in fear!

"Wh…what's happening!?" I gasped as Ikuchi huddled closer to me for protection. Inside her stone tablet, Leviathan could only look on in horror as we were about to face a threat like none other.

"Hahahaha! At long last it is finally happening!" Enigma proclaimed with demented glee.

"Spit it out already!" I yelled.

He then grinned at me in response, "When I created the rift between monster and humans all those years ago, I imprisoned countless spirits and made Norvagen's people rule over them! I was also able to harness all of the darkest emotions from the monsters themselves and their oppressors!" he answered, "I used that very negativity to create the deck and monsters you see before you! But now, watch as I use every single ounce of that darkness to call forth my ultimate beast! I activate the effect of Amorphous Persona from my graveyard! By banishing this card from my graveyard and tributing pendulum monsters from my hand or field, I can ritual summon!"

"What!?" I gasped.

"He's ritual summoning with an effect from the graveyard!?" Ikuchi added in disbelief.

"I now offer my level 8 Amorphage Goliath as the entire sacrifice!" he announced as the massive dragons felt up high and dove into the centre of the dark shadows! "With the dreaded infection of the wicked dragon, I call forth the subtotal of the world's darkest and deadliest sins! With these forces, I now unleash the supreme overlord of ultimate evil!" A loud menacing roar echoed through the dark fog as a portal opened up from within it, revealing a pair of blood red eyes and menacing snarls! I shuddered unable to comprehend what was beginning to emerge from it, "I ritual summon! Arise! Level 8! Amorphactor pain! The Imagination dracoverlord!" As the fog blew away, a massive black dragon rose from the portal, it slobbered and sweated with its partially melted body, as a dragonoid figure revealed himself being fused into the beast! Almost similar to that when Zarc merged with his dragons!

"I don't believe what I'm seeing…." I gasped taking a few steps back while my own monsters aggressively snarled, readying themselves for battle against the ferocious beast!

"I hope you are pleased with yourself Ryuga, because this is your doing!" Enigma mocked as he looked on proud over his new found monster and power that he would soon unleash against anyone who would dare oppose him!

"I've seen a lot of menacing ritual monsters throughout my time in Norvagen, but that one really take the cake…." Ikuchi breathed as her worries continued to tighten their grip on her.

Looking to us Enigma smirked, "Is that fear I see?"

"Tch!" I hissed angrily in response to his remark.

"I thought so, now let's see if we can increase that into outright terror!" As he finished his words, Amorphactor pain let out a loud nightmarish shriek which spread across the room and enveloped all my dragons except Bahamut in putrid dark aura!

"AAAAARRRGGGHHH!" they all screamed.

"Guys! What's wrong?!" I cried in horror while Bahamut only looked on helplessly. Even Leviathan herself couldn't believe what she was seeing with her own eyes.

"Is something wrong with your precious monsters hmm?" Enigma asked mockingly, "I don't blame them for showing such weakness in the face of my greatest monster, all tremble at the might of my great beast's supreme power after all!"

"What did you do to them!?" I yelled furiously at him, putting my monsters through such suffering as all others was outright unforgivable! Ikuchi herself felt some feelings of anger stir within herself but still was paralysed by fear.

"Very well, allow me to shed some light on the situation." Enigma replied deciding not to keep us further in the dark, "You see, as long as Amorphactor pain the dracoverlord remains on the field, the abilities of all fusion, synchro and xyz monsters are negated!"

"No way!" My eyes widened in horror over its outrageous effect, "The effects of nearly all extra deck monsters are rendered useless….What an incredible power….."

I didn't pay attention but with the change in amorphage monsters on the field so did the stats of all the other monsters on the field. Bizarrely even the new ritual monster which arrived on the scene was weakened, but I took no notice…in fact how could anyone?

 **2950-2550**

 **2500-2600**

 **2500-2600**

 **2500-2600 (Defence)**

 **2500-2600**

"Sadly due to the effect of Amorphage Lysis, Amorphactor pain loses attack points," Enigma revealed, "But it won't matter for much longer, because I plan on ending this silly little charade here and now! With the spell card known as **Never-ending rage**!" He then played a new card from his hand which depicted a gigantic berserk gorilla and enraged battle ox roaring and snarling amongst a background of fire raining and ruins of civilisations, "I can only activate this when I special summon a monster! For the next 5 turns I am forced to skip my draw, main and standby phases. However, in exchange that monster gains 4000 attack and defence points!" The spell then supercharged his dragon causing its attack level to rise to tremendous heights!

 **2550-6550**

"It has over 6000 attack points!" Ikuchi gasped while I looked on, gritting my teeth.

"I'm merely getting started!" Enigma revealed to or disbelief that he was about to take things even further, "Next I activate Pendulum boost! By destroying cards in my pendulum zones, one monster I control gains 100 attack points multiplied by their total levels! And with 2 fewer amorphage cards on the field, that means an additional 200 points!" The spell caused his pendulum cards to explode into sparkles which were then absorbed into his powerful dragon ritual monster!

 **6550-7550**

"He destroyed his own scale for such a small gain?!" Ikuchi cried out in surprise.

 **2600-2800**

 **2600-2800**

 **2600-2800 (Defence)**

 **2600-2800**

"Not quite! Pendulum boost has an additional effect!" Enigma then announced, "For each pendulum monster I destroyed, my dracoverlord now gains an extra attack for a total of 3 attacks!"

I could feel my own heart skip a beat as soon as he uttered those words, "Oh no!"

"Finally, I activate the spell Gift of the Matyr! By sending one monster I control to the graveyard! Another monster I control gains its attack points until the end phase of this turn! So by sacrificing my Amorphage sloth, my Amorphactor pain's attack points grow even more so!" The bear dragon growled in agony as it was forcibly absorbed into the jaws of Amorphactor pain causing it to grow in size and strength!

 **7550-9800**

"9800 attack points!?"

While Ikuchi was more focused on his monster's off the scale attack points, I had another focus in mind, "He sacrificed his own monster after how much it willingly served him since the start…."

"Well children, do you now understand the proper way for a master to utilise his monsters hmm?" Enigma asked feeling pleased with himself,"The weak serve to benefit the strong, in the end only the strongest, most ruthless and worthy will survive! All others are merely dust in the wind! That is the law of nature and pathetic traits such as kindness and compassion have no place in them!"

I then clenched my fist angrily and yelled at the top of y lungs over his outrageous claims, "You couldn't be more wrong Enigma!" My voice caught the full attention of Ikuchi, who listened on to my retorts, "A true duelist respects his monsters! They fight together as one, help each other reach new heights, but you…you simply use them as mere tools and toss them aside even after they served you willingly and loyally! You have no right to call yourself a master of monsters! Not even close!"

My words somehow managed to instil a small spark within Ikuchi, one that slowly began to stir her love for the monsters and how long ago she really desired to make a change to Norvagen and the ritual dimension, "Ryuga…"

Enigma however wasn't at all moved by my statement and shrugged it off, "Hmph! It appears I have failed to educate you both, such stubborn short sighted minds of the young. Monsters are but beasts and nothing more! Only to fear will you be able to fully matter and bend them to your will! Respect and trust would only give them reasons to one day overthrow you!"

"My monsters will never do such a thing!" I retorted, "We have a bond that can never be broken no matter what happens to us! A bond which unites us all as one heart, mind and soul! Something you would never understand in a million years!" I yelled back vouching for them to their relief.

"Bond….between monsters and humans…that's…what I always hoped to one day reign back to our kingdom…." Ikuchi thought to herself as she further reflected upon my speech. Slowly her feelings off doubt and worry were beginning to loosen their hold on her heart.

"Such a bold claim, let's see how well you can keep it up when you now face my monster's full untamed wrath!" Enigma declared having enough of this, "You said you wanted me to face you in battle Ryuga? Well your wish is granted! Because now I plan on wiping you and your precious friends out from existence!" As he said that Amorphactor pain focused his attention to my side, as breaths of dark smoke flowed from his nostrils ad he began to open his jaws, "With your death, there will be nothing and no one from standing in the way of my greatest triumph and glorious reign! The dragons of legend shall bow before me as their new master and all who will not serve me shall fell my wrath!" His dragon then roared loudly as it took aim at my field, "Amorphactor pain! Wipe out his measly existence with your Assault of evil annihilation!" It then shrieked loudly before firing a mighty black beam which was amplified by the dragonoid's energy blasts from his palms!

I then narrowed my eyes and held my ground, along with all my dragons as we stood together, bracing ourselves for the incoming blast!

"RYUGAAAAA!" Ikuchi cried out in anguish, with tears falling form her eyes, as it soon began to envelop me!

 **Hey there everyone, hope you've enjoyed the first half to the final duel of the story. I decided to use amorphage because I really wanted to use a unique monster archetype to end off the story and amorphactor pain seemed like the best choice for a final boss ritual monster. It's a very confusing archetype and so many effects to keep note of. Hope you to hear your feedback on how the story is going and if you spot any errors, I apologise and hope you would forgive me. Stay tuned for the grand finale and hope to hear from you all!**

Draconian tactician

Tribute 2 Dragon-Type monsters; Special Summon 1 Level 8 Dragon-Type monster from your Deck.

Never ending rage

Activate when you special summon a monster. That monster gains 4000 attack, for the next 5 turns skip your draw, main and standby phases.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

"RYUGAAAA!" Ikuchi gasped as Amorphactor pain's attack came in straight for me! I then closed my eyes as a massive explosion occurred as the beam collided with my monsters, who screeched in pain before a cloud of ash and dust erupted from where I was.

BOOM!

Ikuchi stared in disbelief for a few moments before falling onto her knees, "No…this can't be…." she could feel every last drop of energy and confidence melt away from her body and spirit as she knew I couldn't possibly have survived that. She even felt like giving up on all hope at this point as well.

On the other side however, Enigma's behaviour towards the event was the complete opposite, "Ahahahaha!" he laughed, "Finally! The meddlesome brat is no more! Victory is finally mine!" He boasted arrogantly.

"Not quite yet!" A voice suddenly shouted from inside the dust.

"What!?" Enigma gasped with widened eyes as a figure soon could be seen through the dust.

"Gasp!" Ikuchi covered her mouth in surprise as I emerged almost unscathed, and a shield surrounding me dissipated.

 **Ryuga: 4000-2000**

"What's the matter Enigma? Were you expecting me to go somewhere?" I asked with a confident smirk.

"H…How did you survive!?" Enigma gasped in disbelief, "You should have been vaporised by now!"

"Simple, right before your attack reached me I activated the mirror shade trap card!" I revealed my facedown as it vanished, "By cutting my life points in half I was able to see myself from any further damage this turn! So there you have it." As I turned to the field and saw the remains of my 3 extra deck dragons Tiamat, Fafnir and Jormangandr blow away in the wind I then closed my eyes, "Guys….I'm sorry…." I apologised as I could feel their souls going to rest.

"We will avenge them Ryuga." Bahamut said weakly while still under the influence of Amorphage Lysis, to which I responded with a nod.

"Oh well, till next time then. It would seem my victory will have to be momentarily postponed." he scoffed, "But do not think for a second that you've bought yourself more time, all you did was delay the inevitable! After all, with merely one dragon left on your field it's impossible for you to win!" He snickered while pointing out at me.

"We'll see about that!" I yelled back angrily refusing to give up.

As Ikuchi watched the determination in my eyes still burn as bright as ever, she herself began to feel moved, "Ryuga….even when backed into such a proverbial corner and losing all but one of his closest allies….he still won't yield….How….and where does he get all his strength and determination?" She asked herself.

"Oh yes we shall hehehe…" Enigma chuckled to my response as he continued his turn, "Now I use Scale 5 Amorphage Lechery and Scale 3 Amorphage Wrath to refill my pendulum scales!" The pair of mutated dragons exploded form their card seals and entered Enigma's pendulum zone compartments as they soon materialised on the field ad rose in pillars of light! With 2 more Amorphage monsters on the field, Lysis weakened Amorphactor pain slightly.

 **9800-9600**

"Now I pendulum summon once more!" 2 lights shot out from his extra deck compartment, "Revive from my extra deck! Amorphage Envy!" The 2 squid hybrid dragons appeared on the field in defence mode. Their presence made Enigma's ultimate monster lose a few more points but it was perfectly acceptable to him.

 **9600-9400**

"This is where your futile resistance ends!" He called out, "Thanks to Lechery's effect, while I control an amperage monster, neither player can activate any spell cards or effects, except for Amorphage spells! And with Wrath filling my other pendulum zone, neither player can tribute any monsters except for Amorphage monsters!"

"No way!" Ikuchi gasped in horror as her last remaining attempt to make a comeback with her best monsters was soon sealed away.

"Tch! He's really limiting our already few options here…." I grunted in frustration.

"Precisely! Now you won't be able to save yourself with any more of those action cards since Lechery renders them useless!" Enigma explained, "And even if you somehow manage to eliminate it and plan to ritual summon, Wrath will ensure that you won't be able to make any sacrifices! Hahahaha!" He then laughed before getting to his favourite part, "Furthermore, thanks to fallout's last effect I'm forced to skip all my other phases other than my battle and end phases, including my standby phase!"

"Which would allow him to bypass the costs of his pendulum cards till then, meaning Amorphactor pain will stay on the field and remain a huge threat to us…..And those pendulum cards of his will further restrain us…." I said out loud to Ikuchi's horror.

"Now look at you both, trapped and helpless, unable to move!" he taunted, "You might as well surrender and give up on any last shred of hope you may hold on to! For there's nothing you can do!"

"Never! We'll keep fighting to the end!" I retorted.

"Keep fighting!? Ha! You can't even defend yourselves, but if you insist on choosing oblivion then who am I to stop you?" Enigma then reached for another card tablet on his side and looked at it with a deep smirk for with it, his victory was assured, "I place one card facedown, ending my turn. Now that the end phase is reached, the effects of pendulum boost and Gift of the matyr expire, so my dragon loses the power boost he gained from them."

 **9400-6450**

"I'm not about to give up on hope just yet!" I said with narrowed eyes, "Then it's my turn! My draw!"

"Ryuga….he's still not giving up, he still believes there is hope left and because of that…he'll continue fighting to his last breath…." Ikuchi breathed in amazement, seeing me determined as ever was beginning to reignite her former courage.

"As long as I still have life points left I'll keep fighting even when it seems hopeless! I won't stop until my life gauge reaches 0!"

"Hehehe, well that can be easily arranged," Enigma chuckled, "With this trap, this duel is over! I activate the battle mania!" The card slate flipped upwards and glowed, "This trap card can only be activated during my opponent's standby phase! And thanks to its' effect monsters have no choice but to do battle!"

"No worries, I'll just attack Amprohage envy instead! That way I won't take any damage!" I replied calmly as Bahamut turned his attention to one of the dragon squids.

Enigma then "Oh I'm afraid you won't have a choice, you see I'm about to change the rules!" He then took his staff and then fired its' magic strgaiht at Bahamut, catching me completely off guard!

"Grrrgh!" He growled as waves of pain and rage began to surge through his and and body!

"Bahamut! What's going on!?" I gasped in horror at what was happening to him!

"That staff…it's….forcing me to…argh!" He growled as the energy began to blur his senses and lose control of himself! He then roared and thratsed aggressively before turning to the one monster on Enigma's field I would never decide to attack!

"Thanks to my staff, now your monster will be forced to attack my Amorphactor Pain!" Enigma laughed maniacally as the staff began to corrupt my dragon's mind!

"What!? That's not fair!" I cried in shock and anger that he would even play dirty during the duel like this!

"Hehehe! With victory within my grass, I couldn't care less about fair! Now! Go ahead and destroy yourself!" Enigma laughed as Bahamut began to charge a beam in his mouth.

Ikuchi looked on in horror from the sidelines, "No way! If Bahamut attacks….then…"

"Tch! With lechery I can't save him or myself with action cards and there's nothing else on my field that can help me now….if this attack goes through…." I thought to myself as I really had no other options remaining.

"Hahaha! Oh how I really enjoy the look of agony and despair on one's face when their fate is sealed and there is absolutely nothing they can do about it! Now say goodbye to your last shred of hope and burn by your own flames!" Enigma commanded as Bahamut finally lost control of himself.

"Grrrgh! Can't….fight it….Forgive me!" He then fired the beam straight at the monstrous mutant dragon before him!

"NO!" Leviathan cried from inside her stone tablet, helpless as her love was about to destroy himself and her former master!

"Bahamut! NO!" I cried as Amorphactor pain fired a cursed beam attack back, overpowering my dragon's as it headed straight for us!

Ikuchi stood back, paralysed by fear and doubts once more as they began to flood her mind, "This can't be…..Is there nothing I can do to help him?" She asked herself, grasping her head tightly, "Will I….let this happen all over again?" She soon recalled the past and how she was weak, scared and couldn't do anything to save her mother because of Enigma's schemes..…now I was about to meet that same fate…As soon as that thought crossed her kind, she opened her eyes with determination, as something had snapped inside her, causing her to overcome her fears and doubts for good! "No! I won't let it end this way!" She cried out.

Meanwhile I looked on in defeat as the incoming attack came for me, and Bahamut left in front to try and shield me form the blast, but even I knew that would accomplish nothing at this point, so I looked away "Everyone…I'm so sorry….I tried my very best….urgh…." I cried in defeat.

"Hahahaha! Finally all shall bow before me!" Enigma boasted seeing his victory was final,y about to be achieved, until suddenly the unexpected occurred!

"I activate my trap!" Ikuchi announced as she activated the trap she set on her very first turn! "Go High speed Aria!" The card flipped upwards and glowed.

"Huh?"

"What!? You dare!?" Enigma growled furiously.

Ikuchi narrowed her firm eyes at him which meant yes, "Thanks to high speed aria, by sending a normal spell card from my hand to the graveyard I can then activate that spell's effect!" One of her other card slates flipped forward and glowed before vanishing, "And the spell I chose was One day of peace! This lets us all draw a card each, and in exchange none of us takes any battle damage until your next end phase Enigma!" She shouted.

"Grrrr! How dare you cheat me of my victory!?" He growled while clenching his fist tightly, before we all gained a new card each.

Ikuchi then looked over to me, "Are you alright Ryuga?" she asked as she came in to die me support.

"Gasp…yeah…just barely…." I answered before looking up at her, "Ikuchi….you actually saved me…."

She then smiled, "Haha, you sound surprised. I thought it would be obvious, after all, we've been through much together since we ran away from the kingdom. After all you've done for me in my times of need, it's only natural that I return the favour." she answered.

"Hehe, looks like we're even then…." I chuckled in response.

"I can live with that." she replied.

When that was over I went back to my turn, "Alright, I place 2 more cards facedown, and that ends my turn." I concluded.

Enigma then yelled in frustration before stamping his foot down, "Grargh! You little girl! Why must you interfere at the very last moment!? When I was so close?!" He svreehed while glaring daggers at Ikuchi, the one factor he overlooked and thus paid the price for, "No matter, it's my fault for underestimating you, a mistake I will never make again! Very soon you will run out of tricks and stalling tactics, and when that happens, oh yes it will, you'll both go down in flames!" He yelled before smiling rather sinisterly, "And after that, I will use that victory to shatter the will and hearts of all those who dwell in the 5 dimensions, both the human and spirit worlds of all the dimensions will be in the palm of my hand! No one will ever dare harbour any delusions of challenging me after I've extinguish whatever hope they have left! Ahahahahaha!"

"You think oppressing so many innocent people and monsters makes you superior to them!? You're nothing but a power hungry tyrant!" I yelled in response.

"Agreed! A heartless demon like you has no right to call himself a king of Norvagen! Let alone the ritual dimension or the 5 dimensions!" Ikuchi added just as disgusted.

"A king!?" Enigma cried, "Hah! Such a small goal is far too small for me! While I do admit I once had such a short sighted vision, but now I realise something even greater. A much higher state of being awaits me! One which surpasses all mortal existences! In fact, once I have obtained the powers of both Godly dragons and make them my own, I shall transcend my human flesh and limits, and evolve into a force beyond either dragon could ever be!" He then proclaimed and boasted, "I shall become exactly what I was destined to be from the very beginning of time!"

"You've gone mad!" Ikuchi gasped as she winded her eyes in surprise.

"Tch! Now this lunatic actually thinks he's some kind of god!" I added.

"Oh no, you couldn't be more wrong." Enigma retorted, "I don't think I am a God, I AM a GOD! And you…are nothing!" Looking up at us and beginning to chuckle maniacally he then flashed us an evil smile, "Face it! The fact remains none of your monsters comes close to matching my Amorphactor pain's strength and it will only be a matter of time before I crush all your measly defences into dust, and destroy the both of you! Now yield or go down in flames! It is over! You've lost! Nothing in your measly decks of cards can save you now!" He yelled furiously, and yet we did not waver in the least.

"Even if it all seems hopeless….We still won't give up!" I yelled.

Ikuchi added to my words, "For the sake of everyone living in the 5 dimensions, for the sake of the spirits who have been wrongly oppressed and suffering for so many years, for the sakes of all we love and care for, we will never allow you to win! It's my turn and I draw!" She drew a new card slate from the ground.

"I hate to interrupt your moment of glory Ikuchi, but I hope you don't mind if I first tip the odds back in our favour first?" I asked.

"Alright Ryuga, feel free to what you need." she replied.

"Surely you bluff…." Enigma scoffed in disbelief.

"How's this for a bluff!?" I said, "I activate the trap dust tornado! And with it I destroy Amrphage Lechery!" A Large tornado blew up which sucked in the pendulum dragon into its spiralling vortex before destroying it!

"Tch! Not bad, but not good enough!" Enigma retorted, "I activate the effect of Amorphage Lysis! Once per turn, when an amorphage card in my pendulum zone is destroyed, I can immediately set a new one from my deck to replace it!" A new card slate erupted from the ground before abosring into it, reeling a hedgehog like dragon in place of the scorpion one, "This time you're done for! I just set Amorphage Greed! Which prevents any non-amorphage traps and trap effects from activating! And since my battle route has already activated and is a continuos effect, it doesn't apply! How's that!?" he boasted.

"I'm not done just yet," I continued, "Thanks to dust tornado's other effect I can set one spell or trap from my hand to my field after resolving." A new facedown appeared in my trap's place, "Then I activate another facedown! Mischief of the time goddess! This card allows me to skip the next few turns until my next battle phase!"

"What did you say!?" Enigma gasped in alarm.

"Alright!" ikuchi cheered, "With that I will be able to conduct my next main phase, and by then the effects of One day of peace and high speed aria would have worn off! Which means Enigma will no longer be protected from battle damage and I'll be able to use spells again!"

"Grrrr! You continue to infuriate me more and more!" He yelled furiously as the spell vanished and began to turn time forward! "Just in case…." Knowing he couldn't rely on just his skills now, Enigma looked around before leaping up and snatching an action card floating in midair and landing back on the ground effortlessly. Looking at it, he then smirked seeing it to be full fairing, which would allow him to halve all battle and effect damage this turn, "Hehehe…excellent…." he chuckled to himself.

Back on my side, I was prepared to pendulum summon Bahamut once more to give me at least one line of defence, but at the last second he whispered something to me, causing me to look at Ikuchi then back to him. His idea was nothing less than a huge gamble, but if it was a success then maybe just maybe….we could win this here and now. It's all or nothing…"Alright, this is as far as I can go. I end my turn." I said to Ikuchi's confusion.

"R…Ryuga? Is that it?" My conclusion puzzled her deeply, "Why didn't he summon Bahamut?"

Looking to her I then said, "I've done everything I could Ikuchi, the rest up to you."

"M….Me?" She pointed at herself dumbfounded, "But wouldn't you be better at doing so? More importantly why didn't you revive Bahamut in defence mode? Wouldn't you have given yourself a better defence when Enigma attacks later on? I….I can't do it…" She said rather softly until I placed my hand upon her shoulder.

"Yes you can Ikuchi." I said to her reassuringly, "This battle is to prove that you are Norvagen's one true ruler. If you want to secure your claim, you need to take charge." She then looked to me as I continued, "You've always had the support of allies backing you for so long. Now, I believe it's time for you to finally prove yourself worthy."

"But…what if I-"

"Don't worry, I trust that you'll be able to win this, that you'll be able to bring a new era of peace and harmony, as well as right every wrong that has been committed until now." I said to her once more with full faith in my words, "I believe in you…."

"Ryuga…." After hearing my words she then reflected upon all of her past events which lead up until now. From her mother's kindness and love to her father's guidance. Jilen taking care of her ever since she was starting to duel, and then to me, the one person who truly and genuinely had faith in her while everyone else looked down upon her. Fuelled by everyone's memories and feelings, she then nodded firmly in response, "Alright, you can count on me, I'll end finish this once and for all." She said determined and confident in herself as she stepped forward to face Enigma once and for all.

"Go get him Ikuchi…." I thought to myself glad she was able to harness the confidence within herself and overcome her doubts and insecurity, for if she really was to be queen and the right candidate for another purpose….perhaps we may have a chance to win this. Bahamut and the others knew what I was thinking and all we could do now was stand back and wait.

"Oh? You actually believe a mere child can defeat me?" Enigma scoffed before bursting out in laughter once more, "Ahahaha! You put too much faith in that snivelling princess it's just hilarious! She's always been nothing more than a sad and helpless child, and very soon, after this duel is over and I crush you under my heel, she will realise who she really is and will never dare step out of her place ever again! Ahahahahaha!"

"You're wrong Enigma!" She suddenly shouted catching Enigma by surprise.

"Hmm?"

"That 'sad and helpless child' you scarred and manipulated is no more. I would have been alone and scared for the rest of my life had I not had people by my side to look after and shelter me from the pain you inflicted and forced me to endure since my childhood." She said feeling admiringly guilty for not being able to do anything before, but then she opened her eyes determinedly, "But now, I've grown and changed with friends and allies I've met throughout out my life after you took away my mother and then my father! They stood by me and believed in me! Something that no one else would, and because of them I am who I am today!" She proclaimed with her heart and eyes shining with a new sense of clarity and enlightenment. "Now, for my turn, our draw. Our bond, something you would never understand. For the sakes of everyone in not only my kingdom, but also the 5 dimensions and beyond! I will defeat you and crush your evil pans now and forever!" She declared firmly.

I was deeply moved by her words, just as Bahamut had hoped she would react. Without anyone else noticing I turned my eye toward the great stone seal situated behind Enigma, which glowed faintly. Inside the tablet Leviathan has heard each and every one of Ikuchi's words and soon determined them to be genuine and firm, "C…Can it be?" she gasped in amazement, "Heart and soul as pure as the most tranquil and peaceful of azure waters, as well as carrying the powerful strength of the great blizzard….She….she is the one I have long awaited for!"

"I DRAW!" As Ikuchi began to draw her next card slate, the tablet suddenly shone brightly, causing us all to shield our eyes!

"Whoa!" I gasped.

"Wh…what's this!?" Enigma grunted shielding his face and being caught off guard once more!

"Rrgh! Can't see….!" But to Ikuchi, the light suddenly became much more bearable. As she looked closer, she then found herself enveloped in the war light, and the shadow of a great sea wyrm dragon materialised before her from inside the light. "Can it be?" She gasped as she took a few steps closer to it.

"Ikuchi…." The dragon said to her, "I have been watching over you, for a long time even from within stone. You have fought for your kingdom, your father and for your closest allies be it monster or human. With courage and kindness, the virtues of the true and rightful ruler of this world. A queen, worthy of my power." She said to her.

Ikuchi staggered slightly, overwhelmed with emotion over the words of the goddess speaking to her, "I….I do not know what to say….It…is an honour to be praised by you….your eminence…." she said bowing down to her.

"Rise young one," The dragon said to her after that, "You have fought valiantly over the most dangerous battles, and have risked everything in order to save this world. However, when you return you shall be bestowed with the greatest power ever known to the kingdom of Norvagen, or even this entire world to see as you see most fit." She said calmly before asking one last question, "My final question is, are you worthy of this power?"

Instead of fear or having any wavering feelings, Ikuchi now realised the time for hesitation or worry is no more. "I am Leviathan." She said firmly with confidence and sincerity, "And you have my word, that I will be more than willing to bear the responsibility that comes with it. I will also use its power to protect the peace of the world and to ensure that Norvagen will never face an era of darkness any more." Leviathan then smiled proud of her answer before shining brightly herself once more.

Soon the light faded and all went back to normal….well almost….Hearing the sound of a sudden crack, Ikuchi turned and looked behind Enigma and couldn't believe her eyes, "Leviathan's tablet!" She gasped as a large crack had formed on its center! "It's shattering!" Soon it cracked and shattered into many pieces, as the spirit of a blue sea dragon rose form inside it! It took to the air and circled around before eying Ikuchi and diving straight at her! Ikuchi covered herself with her diadhank, which was where the dragon was intending to go! After diving inside it, Ikuchi became enveloped in a bright blue light, as the mark of a dragon's breath began to materialise around her arm, which almost fit that of my full dragon mark which covered my entire body. The final dragon of Dahaka had awoken to her full potential at last.

"This…can't be!" Enigma gasped in disbelief, "That snivelling princess is the chosen one?! The one in the prophecy designed to wield the goddess Leviathan!?"

"She's no mere princess anymore Enigma." I said to him as Ikuchi stood up firm, as she and Leviathan began to become of one spirit.

"I am Ikuchi! The Dragon Empress!" she announced brimming with passion and energy, which rivalled that of my own. "And it's my move! I DRAW!" As a glowing able stale erupted from the ground, she smiled in response to it, "Just what I needed! I play the spell pre-preparation of rites!" The card slate flipped forward, "With this spell, I can add a ritual monster and the required ritual spell needed to summon it, straight to my hand from my deck!" She then closed her eyes and focused hard, "Now Leviathan, please lend me your strength so we can end this tyrant's evil rule once and for all." Answering her prayer, Leviathan began to grant her strength and power as she acquired her 2 card slates,

"Hah!" She cried out as 2 card slates glowing in shades of azure blue erupted from the ground!

Enigma realised what they were and turned pale ay their appearance, "No! Not those cards!"

Eyeing them and facing Enigmam head on, "Alright! What I now hold will end your reign and tyranny once and for all!" Ikuchi declared.

"We'll back you up with every once of power we have Ikuchi! Now kick his butt!" I called as the spirits of all 4 of my dragons began to manifest around me and give their power to her!

Turning to me after receiving their strength she smirked, "You bet Ryuga!" She then began her winning move, "I activate the ritual spell! **Dimension dragon ritual**!" The spell depicted a layout featuring a deep space background with 4 galaxies on its corners, one had a swirling vortex like fusion, another had a massive ring with a streak of light piercing through its center, the next one had what appeared to be a pair of meteors orbiting it and the last appeared to be oscillating between light and dark somehow like a pendulum. Each of the universes had the silhouette of a dragon (Representing Bahamut, Tiamat, Fafnir and Jormagandr) and in the very center of those 4 universe was a massive enchanted spell circle like that of ritual summoning! "With this card, I will finally be able to bring peace to this world and end your reign once and for all, by summoning Leviathan herself to the field!"

Enigma took a step back in disbelief, "But that's impossible! To activate a ritual spell you are required to tribute monsters to summon a ritual monster! And with Amorphage wrath in my pendulum zone you can't tribute any monsters! It's impossible for you to summon her!"

"Under normal circumstances it would be impossible to do so."

"But it was thanks to the help of my friend Ryuga, that now the impossible can be made possible!" She declared as she raised her hand, "Watch now as a new legend is born! With my spell's second effect, if a fusion, synchro, xyz and pendulum monster have been summoned during the duel prior to this card's activation, I am allowed to ritual summon our Lord and Saviour without offering a single tribute for her arrival!" The essence of my 4 dragons rose from the ground before infusing the spell with their power causing it to glow in an array of colours as it generated a massive ritual circle in the centre of the whole field!

"This…This can't be! She's about to summon the goddess herself and there's nothing I can do to prevent this!"

A sudden rush of cold air filled the room, "Dragon goddess from the depths of the dimensional abyss. Through the frigid winds of cold hearted suffering and plight, I call upon your great power to aid us in this fight!" She chanted as a harsh wind blew from the spell circle, causing ice to encase the entire room and the atmosphere freeing around before our very eyes! "I ritual summon!" A howling swirl of wind and ice whipped up in the center of the room, forcing the rest of us to shield ourselves with whatever little clothing or protection we had on us, "Rise! Breath of the dragon empress! Level 8! **Leviathan! Subzero Sea Wyrm of the Ragnarok**!" A massive wave of ice, water and snow shot out from the circle before twisting into a serpentine shape. It then hardened and shattered, revealing the massive ice dragon from inside it! After emerging from the card slate and ugly charged with Ikuchi's energy, her scales glittered brighter than the shiniest diamond or the brightest star! Her azure sea blue scales glistened in coordination with her transparent icicle spines as she let out a powerful cry upon her arrival!

 **Leviathan, Subzero Sea Wyrm of the Ragnarok, Level 8, Dragon, Ritual, WATER, ATK: 3000 DEF: 2500**

"Leviathan….It's…really you…." Ikuchi breathed in awe at the sight of finally meeting the goddess of Norvagen and the ritual dimension.

The great ice water dragon looked down before her and lowered her head, "It is an honour to finally meet you my mistress, and I will gladly serve your cause towards an era of peace." She said to her while bowing in respect and acknowledging her new mistress and partner.

"I thank you for this my friend." Ikuchi replied in honour, "Now let us win this together and bring in this era of peace today."

On my side of the field I looked on proud at Ikuchi who finally succeeded in accomplishing what i failed to do many years ago, and that was bringing out Leviathan's true potential and power. "Bahamut….." I whispered to my duel disk.

"Yes….she is finally free…." He replied as we looked on proud to be reunited with our old ally and that she was no longer imprisoned in stone anymore. The cold feelings of regret began to melt away from our hearts and the last remnants of an old burdens was soon lifted off our shoulders.

"Impossible….." Enigma gasped before falling on his knees, "She was supposed to be mine…."

"That's where you're wrong Enigma." Ikuchi said to him seriously as she and Leviathan faced him, "You don't choose monsters, they choose you. And now, I'll demonstrate the full extent of our bond! By activating Leviathan's special ability! Biting Cold!" Leviathan's icicle scales flashed a deep white before she then fired a bolt of ice straight towards Enigma's arms!

"AAAARRRGGGHHH!" He cried in pain as his hands were directly hit by the ice blast! As he opened his eyes he looked on in horror at what he gazed upon, "Wh…what is this!? My hand…it's completely frozen! What have you done to me!?" He cried seeing his hand and cards completely encased in solid ice! He could even feel waves of pan and frostbite beginning to eat into his own limbs.

"When ritual summoned with dimension dragon ritual, all cards in my opponent's hand are rendered completely unusable and can't be removed from the hand either!" Ikuchi called out.

"What!?" He gasped in disbelief at such a powerful effect. Clearly he underestimated how much power the kingdom's goddess truly possessed.

"Now I activate her second special ability! Temporal Stalactites!" Leviathan then shot a stream of cold mist into the air which formed a large fog cloud, and they rained giant stalagmites of ice on tot he field and scattered all around us! Each off them gave off a cold chill which soon amplified and froze the entire arena in a field of ice and snow!

"Gaaaaarrgghhh!" Enigma yelled as the cold continued to rattle him severe while I barely amaneged to hang on myself behind Ikuchi and Leviathan!

"Whoa! Talk about bringing in the big freeze!" I cried out barely being able to open my eyes.

Ikuchi still stood firm, showing no signs of fatigue or discomfort even from the cold! "Once per turn, Leviathan negates the effects of all cards on the opponent's side of the field! Furthermore, all stat changes of all opposing monsters return to their original value! So the only ones to suffer pain now are both Amorphactor Pain and you yourself Enigma!" Amorphactor pain soon became encased in a block of ice along with the 2 Amorphage envy and even the pendulum cards turned to ice themselves!

 **6650-2950**

"Nice! Now with his pendulum cards negated can use our trap cards again!" I called out.

"C…Curse you…." He grunted begrudgingly as his entire plan was falling apart, right after it came so close to success.

"Ikuchi!" I then called out to her.

"R…Ryuga?" She asked looking back at me.

"I have a plan to finish him here and now, but for it to work, I need you trust me." I said feeling absolutely sure it would work, "Do you?" I then asked as i held out my hand to her.

Looking at it and back at me, she then took it without hesitation. "I do. Let's finish this together." I nodded as we both turned towards our opponent, "Alright! Leviathan! Attack Amorphactor pain the dracoverlord! Blizzard smash!" We both commanded as Leviathan charged a powerful frost breath and fired a massive wave of snow and ice towards Enigma's side of the field!

"Tch! That won't be enough to stop me!" He grunted as the howling blizzard of ice and snow approached him.

"How about we change that?" I called out as I grabbed an action card and played it, "I activate the action spell evasion! This negates Leviathan's attack and spares Amorphactor pain!"

"What!?" He gasped as it caused the beam to somehow phase through the completely frozen Dracoverlord! "You stopped her!?" Enigma mouthed in confusion before grinning and laughing maniacally, "Hehehe! Hahahaha! So much for trust! All you've done was waste your only way to destroy my monster! Meaning I still have a turn left to wipe you both out!"

"Wrong Enigma!" Ikuchi yelled out, "What Ryuga did, was seal your own defeat and our victory!"

He widened his eyes, "What was that!?"

"I activate the quick play spell! Double or nothing!" I said as I revealed my last facedown card, "When a monster's attack gets negated, this card allows that monster to attack again! Only this, with double the power!" The spell then increased Leviathan's power causing her to power up even more than Amorphactor pain!

 **3000-6000**

"6000 attack points!? NO!" Enigma cried in horror.

"Oh yes!" I added.

"And thats only the tip of the iceberg! I activate the quick play spell known as double tension!" Ikuchi declared as she actuated a spell from her hand, "When a monster attacks a second time, its' attack points double during the damage step! Making Leviathan 4 times as powerful!" The spell supercharged Leviathan once more!

 **6000-12000**

"A monster that powerful can't possibly be stopped!" Enigma cried out in horror, completely frozen in place by fear and disbelief, "They actually knew what the other was thinking….they were somehow connected…" he said out loud.

"That's right! And now this is where it all ends! With one final attack! Take this from all of us!" Enigma looked on as the 4 dragons appeared behind Leviathan, granting her every last ounce of strength they could offer as she gained a multicoloured aura around her entire body based off the other summoning methods, even sprouting magnificent energy wings as she took to the sky and let out a loud shriek before charging an attack in her jaws!

"Tch! I won't let it end like this!" he hissed defiantly, refusing to admit defeat even at the hands of a goddess! He then noticed an action card in the distance and tried to grab it, but to his horror it then phased out of his hand leaving him unable to grab it! "Wh…what!?"

"Rules of the action duel, you're not allowed to hold more than a single action card at a time." I answered for him, "And with your hand completely put on ice, I'm afraid you can't stop this attack! It's over!"

"N…NOOOOOO!" He cried in disbelief.

"Go Leviathan! End this duel now with Aurora Borealis Blast!" Ikuchi and I commanded as Leviathan, fuelled by the spirits and power of the other 4 dragons, fired her multicoloured beam of ice and light straight at the frozen dragon, completely destroying the vile monster before swallowing Enigma himself after!

"GAAAAAARRRRGGGGHHH!" He cried as the blast and light completely enveloped him.

 **Enigma: 3000-0**

 **Ryuga and Ikuchi: WIN!**

As the field and everything else (Except Leviathan) dissipated, I walked up towards Ikuchi to give her my deepest and sincere congratulations, "You did it Ikuchi, just like I knew you would." I said to her with praise.

She then shook her head, "No Ryuga, we did it. Thank you for your help….I will never forget what happened here today." She said to me as we both shook on it.

"This can't be!" We then heard behind us. Turning around we saw Enigma had regained his senses after being knocked down by Leviathan's attack. Now he kneeled on the ground while hammering his fists in frustration on his own diadhank, smashing it to pieces in the process, "I was so close…..After everything I worked towards….All those wasted years of slaving to Avalon….those months of planning now reduced to nothing….I'm was about to become ruler of all the worlds and existences! Monster, human, all the living should have been bowing down before me and my supreme power! How could I have been defeated by the likes of mere children?!" He screamed in measureless fury before hearing a loud and menacing hiss behind him.

The blood rushed from his face at sight of what was approaching him at that very moment, "No…No! Stop! Don't come any closer!" He cried in sheer terror as both Ikuchi and Leviathan began to corner him.

"It's all over Enigma, and now the time has come for you to face divine judgement! For everything you've done and everyone you've ever wronged in your wretched life!" Ikuchi yelled while her sea dragon reflected her fury with a loud snarl, as her breath began to freeze the water in the air, making it fall like hailstones on the ground.

"Y….Your majesty! Please have mercy on me!" he pleaded with complete and utter fear showing in his eyes.

Ikuchi then widened her eyes in anger at his outrageous request, "Mercy? MERCY!? After all the sins and crimes you've committed with your foul stained hands….Mercy is something you'll never deserve!" She yelled, "Your demise will be swift! Now prepare for your end!" As she commanded, Leviathan opened her massive jaws wide revealing several large fangs shaped as icicles, and she charged ford ready to swallow the defeated sage whole!

"NOOOOO!" he screamed as he covered his face with both his arms as she closed in!.

"Ikuchi stop!" I cried out at the last second, as both I and Bahamut stepped in to stop both her and Leviathan before they could commit any bloodshed!

"H….Huh?" Enigma looked up in surprise to see me actually shielding him.

"R….Ryuga!?" Ikuchi gasped in disbelief while my dragon held back hers form getting any closer to Enigma.

"Bahamut!?" Leviathan mirrored Ikuchi's exact feelings of surprise.

"That's enough Ikuchi, he's finished." I said to her while holding on to her arm, "He's powerless now. It's over….."

She then narrowed her eyes and gritted her teeth, "Get out of my way this instant! And unhand me!" She yelled in frustration as she shook her arm out of my firm grip, and glaring daggers at me, "Why did you stop me!? Don't you think he should get exactly what his wretched deeds deserve! He killed my parents, created conflict between human and monster for many years, and even oppressed our own people and not only that, he planned to do the very same thing to your world and many more! He doesn't deserve to live!" She screamed furiously as tears of bitterness began to drop from her eyes in memory of the horrible days she endured and the vile acts of treason and deceit Enigma had been committing for so long.

I said nothing for a moment, I had to admit it really was tempting to give Enigma exactly that! No one could ever be pardoned for such an unforgivable act, and yet…. I knew this wasn't right, "I understand how you feel Ikuchi, really I do….." I said to her admiringly before staring back at her more seriously, "But think about it, if you kill him, would it really make you any different from him?"

"Of course it would!" she retorted, "I would be avenging the deaths of my parents! And everyone he ever oppressed! You would do the same too if you were in my position wouldn't you!?"

In fact….I much as I hated to admit it…I am actually partially responsible for this too. It was my power and Zarc's that gave Enigma his strength and birth to his malicious intentions, and it was also my fault that Leviathan couldn't do anything to stop it that things got so out of hand and I caused the suffering of many innocent souls. But….even so I knew this wasn't the way. "If I were in your shoes I could easily erase him from existence with a single order to my dragons, but even so, I still wouldn't." I said.

"Why not?" she asked puzzled.

"Because…..it's not what my friends and family would want." I answered, "If I crossed the line it would have changed who I am now forever, and…..I could never look at them in the face again."

"…" She said nothing in response, and so did Leviathan.

"Even if your father wanted you to avenge everyone Enigma has wronged, even he wouldn't have wanted you to go over the edge of no return." I continued.

As I spoke with Ikuchi below, Bahamut had his own talk with her dragon, "Leviathan, you said it yourself. Norvagen has suffered enough pain and suffering already, if you truly believe that, then let this bloodshed end here, once and for all."

"…" She said nothing in return, his words hitting her right where she felt it would hurt. Fighting back all her desire to end Enigma's miserable life right here and now, she then recalled the bright and warm moments she and the others once shared before finally yielding. She then moved in and embraced Bahamut in her coils as a show of thanks for saving her from a huge mistake.

"Your father wanted you to become a queen that unite the people and monsters of the world as one like in the years before. You wanted to as well." I said to Ikuchi pleadingly, hoping to reach through to her troubled heart, "I'm sure this isn't what he would have wanted from you. To live in pain and anger….I'm sure you wouldn't want to do this either."

As I finished speaking Ikuchi began to tear up, "Ryuga…..sniff….." She sobbed choked with tears before leaping into my arms and hugging me closely, "Thank you….you stopped us from making a mistake we could never turn back from. You….really are true friends.…." she wept as I returned the hug.

"Thank you Ikuchi, for understanding." I said kindly while comforting her. After our touching moment I then decided to get back to the main matter at hand, "So what happens now?" I asked her.

She then looked back at me firmly, "Simple, Enigma will have to pay for every single one of his crimes that he committed. The lives of him and his followers will be spared, but they shall all be brought to trial and have their fates decided there."

"Spoken like a true queen Ikuchi." I replied back feeling proud of her mature decision before turning around, "You hear that Enigma, you're lucky you-huh?" When I looked back to where he initially lay I was upraised to see he was no longer lying down. Suddenly the sound of magical laughter gave away his position. Looking up we both saw him standing tall at the higher ledge where Leviathan's seal once was!

"Hehehehehe Hahahahahahah!" He laughed uncontrollably, "You really are naive little children aren't you!? You think that I am so easily beaten, that I would simply give up my ambitions of dimensional conquest and yield to whatever humiliating punishment you would have planned!? Your act of mercy has only sealed your fates!" He screeched to our bewilderment.

"Huh!?" We all gasped in alarm, that he still hadn't given up even when we showed him mercy!

He grinned deviously before turning towards Leviathan herself, "Now your 'eminence', prepare to serve your new master!" Aiming his staff and revealing the crystal inside it, he then fired an energy net which ensnared her completely!

"AAAARRRGGGHH!" she screeched as the energy surged through her, entrapping her and rendering her unable to escape!

"Leviathan!" We gasped in horror and saw a stone tablet erupt from behind Enigma himself! We knew exactly what he planned and what he intended to do.

"Hahahaha! In the end, no matter how hard you struggled, victory is mine!" He laughed to himself as he began to pull her inside the tablet!.

"Grrrrgh!" The great sea dragon struggled hard to pull away but to no avail!

"NO!" Ikuchi cried.

I grit my teeth in anger but was unable to make any move against Enigma, "Is there anything we can do!?" I thought to myself in frustration before a large shadow whooped over me!

"Grrgh! Not this time!" Bahamut growled as he charged forward, shoved Leviathan to the side and took the full force of the blast himself!

"RAAARRGGHHH!" he roared in pain as the energy net encased him!

"Bahamut!?" Leviathan gasped in surprise at him taking the blast for her!

"Stand back! I'll handle this!" He roared to her, "Protect the children!" He called out as she nodded in response, curling around the both of us to shield us from any incoming sparks!

"Tch! You interfering lizard!" Enigma growled in annoyance as the mighty dragon for getting in the way of his moment of triumph. Bahamut continued to stand his ground and to withstand the power of his staff, "Fine then! You shall be the first to fall before my might!" He growled furiously as he diverted all his staff's remaining focus and energy into Bahamut himself!

The energy continued to increase more and more, it soon began to overtake Bahamut and he could feel his vision and sense beginning to waver and blur. But as he turned back towards us, seeing us believing in him gave him the target to fight on! "No….I won't give up….Never!" He growled as he stepped up and continued to push forward, "Rrgggh!" he grunted painfully but continued to press on.

"You can do it Bahamut!" We continued throwing all sorts of cheers and motivation to convince him to fight on and never give up!

Enigma looked on in disbelief, not once had he encountered a monster that came half as close to Bahamut's determination and loyalty to his allies, "Impossible! No monster could ever resist my full power! Why? Why don't you just give up and accept your defeat dragon!?" he yelled angrily and also with hints of fear that the dragon would eventually overpower his magic!

"Because….As long as those I love and care for continue to believe in me, I…will never allow…. the likes of you…to win!" He roared defiantly before breaking free of the energy net! "This….ends….now!" He roared as he began to charge a beam in his mouth!

"Bahamut! Supreme Sacred Strike!" We all cheered as he fired it straight at Enigma, who tried to fight back with a beam from his sceptre! While initially the clash was tied, Bahamut's attack eventually pushed through and blasted straight at the crystal, until eventually destroying it completely!

BOOM!

"GAAAARRRGGH!" Enigma tired as the explosion blew him back and causing him to slam hard into the wall and fall forward!

As the danger passed, Bahamut fell to the ground, only to be caught and supported by Leviathan coming to his aid. Looking up weakly at her and her relieved smile, "Heh….I made a promise to you, and I made sure to keep you all safe." he breathed.

"Yes you did my love, and….thank you." she said gratefully to him. Me and Ikuchi went in to check in on Bahamut's wounds, but were then interrupted by the sounds of groans and grunts.

Turning around we saw Enigma had gotten back up again! Now he was crouched on the ground looking around the room at what was let of his precious gem, "You destroyed my crystal…." he breathed in disbelief at the many fragments of light and dark scattered across the room. Clenching his fist and slamming it into the ground he then let out a loud scream of furious anger, "ARRRGHH! You've ruined everything!" He then looked up and glared fiercely at us, "Mark my words this is far form over! I will return from this humiliating defeat, and when I do I'll-" Before he could finish, suddenly the atmosphere in the room changed. It became heavy and much more tense with pressure, as if something was enraged….

The crystal fragment suddenly glowed in their respective white and black colours, and the sounds of echoing roars could be heard from all around us! As Ikuchi and I took shelter beneath our dragons who bemuse increasingly agitated, we all witnessed the fragments dissolving into spiritual essence, until, finally they all manifested into energy dragons in the shape of both Zarc and Dahaka!

"Huh!?" Ikuchi and I gasped together, "Wh…what's happening!?"

"I don't know, but whatever it is get back!" Bahamut roared as we did so without hesitation.

Both dragons then turned towards Enigma and they both snarled menacingly against the helpless and terrified old man as they continued to back him against the wall! "My magic spell! It's turning against me instead!" He gasped as they both charged forward and combined around him, encasing him in an energy field! "Wh…what's going on!? Let me out of here!" He yelled while slamming his fists against them but to no avail! TO his horror and our own shock, a stone tablet rose out of the ground behind him and generated an energy vortex which began to pull him in! "N..no! I can't be sealed myself! I am the creator of the card slates!" He looked around frantically before turning to his one and only chance, "Y…..Your majesty! H…Help me!" he cried and begged for her.

Before she could try and respond to his pleads, I then grabbed her shoulder by the last second and stopped her, "No, Ikuchi." I said while shaking my head, "He had his chance, now it's time he faced the consequences of his own actions." Thinking for a moment, she then nodded while the 4 of us held back and looked on from a safe distance.

Enigma then glared at us furiously from within the energy sphere he was trapped in, "Y…..You! You haven't seen the last of me! I will-"

His eyes winded in horror as his sphere was drawn ever closer to the stone tablet, once he was filled with immeasurable amounts of joy trapping innocent spirits in stone. Now, the shoe was on the other foot! "This can't be! This was supposed to be my ultimate triumph! I am a god! I can't be defeated by mere mortals! It's…..impossible!" The stone tablet glowed white as the vortex soon absorbed him in completely! "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" A bright light shone which forced us all to cover our eyes! The last thing we heard from him was his wail of defeat. As the light faded, all that was left was the stone tablet which now depicted Enigma himself, with a terrified expression on his face now forever sealed ins tone. Within moments, it began to crack before breaking up into multiple pieces! The pieces of stone then dissipated into yellow sparkles before blowing away in the wind.

"Is he….gone?" Ikuchi asked as she stepped upwards onto the pedestal.

Climbing up with her and looking around, "He is…." I said with confirmation knowing I could no longer sense his soul, "Now he will never harm anyone ever again." As I finished Ikuchi then ran up to me and fell into embrace once more and even shared a deep kiss with each other.

Down below, Bahamut walked closer to examine the pieces of rock and dust left behind, "Leviathan….." he said feeling somewhat regretful as he turned towards her as she approached him from behind.

She then raised her flipped and placed it on his shoulder, "Do not be so hard on yourself my love. His downfall was not by your hand, but by his own twisted arrogance. He practically sealed his own fate this time." She said offering some comfort to him.

Bahamut then embraced her in his claws, "I promise, I will never let anything happen to you ever again…." he swore as she retuned the hug as well.

"I will always love you to the end of time….." She said softly in return.

 **And so comes the conclusion to the final battle of ritual. I hoped you enjoy it, I put in a lot of hard work to plan this duel and to make sure it ends off with a big bang! What better bang than for Leviathan to finally be free and join the battle alongside her most trusted allies. As usual feel free to leave behind constructive criticism and positive feedback, if there are any mistakes in the duel feel free to let me know so I may correct them. Stay tuned for the next chapter and hope to see you soon!**

Dimension dragon ritual

This card is used to ritual summon Leviathan, Subzero sea wyrm of the ragnarok. You must tribute 4 dragon type monsters from your field, each of a different type within 4 turns. If a fusion, synchro, xyz and pendulum monster has been summoned during the duel prior to this card's activation, you can ritual summon that ritual monster without any tribute. The special summon from this card's effect cannot be negated.

A monster ritual summoned with this card's effect gains this effect:-

When this card is ritual summoned, negate the effects of all cards currently in your opponent's hand. Those cards cannot be used or removed from the hand while this card remains faceup.

Leviathan, Subzero Sea Wyrm of the ragnarok

You can ritual summon this card with dimension dragon ritual. While this card is on the field your opponent cannot activate the effects of monsters that were special summoned from the extra deck. Once per turn, you can negate the effects of all cards on your opponent's field, your opponent cannot activate cards or effects in response to this effect. When you activate this effect, the attack and defence points of all your opponent's monsters become their original value. When this card attacks, your opponent cannot activate cards and effects during the battle phase.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Several days had passed since Enigma was finally defeated. Right after the duel, we returned to the outside to find the battles still raging, only now intensifying. While my dragons had manage to hold their positions and defeat each and every incoming wave of enemies, with the grounds littered with the defeated and nearly dying soldiers and monsters, I could see the prolonged battle was starting to take its toll on them. The enemy forces were no doubt going to overwhelm us with sheer numbers, but before they could all charge in for one final strike when Ikuchi summoned Leviathan herself before the colossal warring masses. The entire army ceased fighting immediately and completely lost the will to fight, stunned by shock and awe of their divine goddess actually presenting herself before their very eyes. As she did once, Leviathan then unleashed a wave of energy which quelled the fighting once and for all, as well as healed the wounds and scars of those who suffered during the ferocious battles that took place today.

Ikuchi then took a stand alongside her dragon and proclaimed to the masses that the war was over and that Enigma's rule is now over for he was finally defeated. When news of this reached the ears of the people, they all cheered in delight that the nightmare was over while all of Enigma's loyalists lost the will to continue fighting. They were all quickly rounded up and made to pay for their rampant crimes in prison, while the soldiers and monsters that did realise their wrongs of serving Enigma begged for forgiveness, and luckily Ikuchi was kind enough to give them all a second chance as long as they started to make up for their deeds today. After that, Ikuchi also revealed the truth of Enigma's scheme to the entire masses and cleared my name in honour of being the one who helped release their goddess from their stone prison and made Ikuchi the now mighty queen from a meek princess.

The towns then celebrated us all as heroes and the streets were filled with the sounds of trumpets, singing and cheers. Flags and banners of courage were hung out and waved as me and every single monster I called forth during the battle walked down the roads together as if they were welcoming heroes returning from a great war. With smaller ground dragons like troop and soldier dragon taking the first lead while followed by larger ones like cave dragon or rare metal dragon. While flying dragons like first of the dragons or ascension sky dragon continued to perform aerial stunts and acrobatics to wild up the crowds in celebration, and the larger ones like neo galaxy eyes and Five headed dragon thundered down the streets creating awe and amazement in the people. Mixed in with them were also some of Jilen's honourable warrior monsters like garma sword, matador fiend, litmus doom swordsman as well as vishwar randi or succubus knight.

Finally, the parade came to its climax as the sounds of flutes of summing dragons blew, as Jilen stepped onto the scene while leading Fafnir, Tiamat and Jormangandr down the streets, paving the way and clearing the crowds from getting into their path. While Fafnir and Jormanagdr were honoured and humbled by the occasion, Tiamat wasn't as modest as she kept showing off her flare with great ride, while I would normally tell her to act more modest and not so stuck up, I suppose today could be an exception. Not far from the 3 of them, was Bahamut and Leviathan together, with myself and Ikuchi seated on top of them as we waved to the crowds. I was made to wear a most uncomfortable but formal royal suit, and boy was it really tight and itchy! I couldn't count the number of times I sweated uncontrollably from the heat or even twitch out of irritation, not to mention what they did to my hair….if it wasn't for Ikuchi telling me I HAD to look the part for this memorable even I would have taken off on Bahamut long before this started.

Speaking of looking the part….Ikuchi sure knew how to do it better than anyone else. She wore her princess tiara around her neatly tied and combed blue hair which now flowed down and waved almost like the ripples of water. She also wore a set of arm sleeves along with a very magnificent royal blue ball gown (Mildly exposing her chest) decorated with shades of light and dark, which was also embedded with various coloured jewels around the bottom area of her dress, where a pair of white heels could be seen underneath them. She also wore a set of pearl earrings and even wore eyeshade for the occasion.

I had to admit there were a number of times when I blushed looking at her and then quickly turning away when she liked back at me curiously, "Is there something wrong Ryuga?"

"N..No…it's nothing haha!" I laughed nervously while turning away, "Urgh I'm never going to get used to this…." I groaned.

Ikuchi then held a hand to her lips as she chuckled in amusement, "Hey hee, you look great Ryuga."

I then felt myself rise a few degrees and turn red while swallowing something as hard as a rock in my throat, "Th..thank you Ikuchi….Y…You too….You look stunning too." I replied uneasily while trying not to make too much eye contact with her.

"Why thank you." she giggled back with a bright smile. Boy was I glad none of my friends from the other dimensions weren't here right now, otherwise they wouldn't let me hear the end of all their teasings….I was already getting enough from some of my dragons as I could hear them snickering or even chuckling in amusement, be it from my attire, irritation, Ikuchi 'distracting' me….or even all of the above…..

Men, women and children all gave us bright smiles and praise as we walked pass them all. Looking down I could see Bahamut and Leviathan both smiling happily for us, but more importantly they were more happy to be together again. I was glad for them, after being separated for what could have been centuries those cold memories could now finally be put behind us. After that we all gathered before the entire masses of Norvagen at the palace before being congratulated and applauded by them all. It truly was a most fitting end to a dark and tragic tale of Norvagen so we all cheered and smiled for the occasion as well.

"Long live our heroes!"

"Thank you for saving us!"

"We are honoured!"

A while into it though, I then frowned slightly, something Bahamut and the others (Except Ikuchi) knew….Deep down, we all knew this wasn't going to last….

That night after the day's events and celebration, Ikuchi and I paid a visit to King Avalon in his quarters. As we headed towards his bedroom door, where he had been resting since getting poisoned, we soon came face to face with Jilen who apparently had been expecting us, "He is resting in here." He said as he motioned to the big doors behind him, "From what we heard, he has managed to awaken and regain his senses," When he said that Iuchi and I were both relieved and felt the worst was over, until he then lowered his head in depression, "However, unfortunately the wounds inflicted on his body by the poison has taken its toll and at this point he won't be able to make it through the night."

"Gasp!" Ikuchi then covered her mouth with both her hands while I said nothing but look away painfully.

Seeing there was nothing more he could do, the old soldier took his leave, "I will leave you to get reacquainted. He may not have much time left, so I hope you treasure your last few moments with him right now." He said as he walked away into the darkness, not wishing to take up more our precious remaining time.

Afer he left us, we headed straight to the door. Ikuchi placed her hand on the door but was reluctant to open them and see the person waiting for us on the other side. It was almost as if her own feet were rooted where they were, until i held her hand gently, "We'll go in together, don't worry, I'll be right there with you."

She then swallowed hard and nodded, knowing there was no turning back now. We worked hard to make it here, after all the sacrifices we made and battles we fought to et this far, it's time we finally see it through. As we pushed through the doors we came into the royal quarters which were poorly lit except for a few candles on the side of the king sized bed. As we looked through the curtains, there lay King Avalon, now turned dark grey and dos own hair and beard turned pale white. He almost looked like a ghost due to the poison ravaging his entire body, but despite all that, he looked back at us with a weak but pure smile.

"Gasp! Father!" Ikuchi cried as she ran up to him and he embraced her in a warm and comforting hug.

"Ikuchi…." He said weakly in response as I came up to him as well, "Jilen has brought me up to speed on the recent events." He then lowered his head slightly in remorse, "I'm terribly sorry for failing you my daughter, Enigma took advantage of me because I lacked the insight and strength necessary as both king and father. "

"No….Don't say that. It wasn't your fault!" sobbed Ikuchi bitterly in response.

Shaking his head, "No, I was the one given the duty to watch over and care for Norvagen, upholding the beliefs we had kept since long before. Because of my weakness and fear, Enigma was able to lead me astray from the true path and turn Norvagen into something far from the paradise it should have been." he said filled with deep regret, "If only I had been able to see the darkness in his heart much sooner….It was because of me you were forced to endure so much alone but when I look at you now, I couldn't be more proud of you, at the wonderful queen who now stands before me." he said stroking her face gently and wiping away her tears, "Perhaps you may actually succeed where I failed." I was really moved by what he said, even in sleeping death he knew how much she had grown without him by her side to care for and watch over her. He then noticed me next to her and encouraged me to come closer, "Thank you Ryuga, for your courage, bravery and resolve. You not only protected my daughter and only family left, but you made her strong. You both even managed to save Norvagen and defeat Enigma's evil scheme once and for all, bringing true peace and harmony back to our land. I am deeply indebted to everything you have done for me and my family." he said gratefully, "How could I ever repay you?"

I shook my head in response, "There is no need your highness, I only did what was necessary. After all, it was;t just to help Ikuchi and save your home, it was also to protect those I cared or back in my own dimension from Enigma's diabolical scheme. Their safety and happiness is all I need."

He then smiled back proudly, "You are truly a most noble man, not only brave and strong but also kind and most humble, the qualities necessary for a true king of Norvagen." he breathed

"King…." I thought to myself carefully.

"There is something I would like to give you personally, in honour of your heroic actions today," He then turned to the small drawer next to his bed, opened it and began rummaging through it with one arm. He then handed me a golden crest with a dragon head similar to the symbols all around the royal palace, "I would like to give you this crest." Looking upon it, Ikuchi then gasped in amazement, clearly she knew it was far more valuable ad significant than it appeared, "This is a symbol of highest honour to any foreigner to Norvagen, it has never been once granted too anyone else before you for centuries, so it pleases me to finally bestow this upon you." he said as he had me attach it to my shirt.

I then bowed in respect, "Thank you very much your majesty, I shall never forget my experience here in Norvagen."

"No, thank you young man. And know that you will always be a welcome and trusted ally to our kingdom and dimension. Your heroic deeds shall always be remembered." King Avalon replied, "Promse me that…no matter what you choose to do from here on….please continue to take good care of my precious daughter, and make sure no harm shall ever befall her more than anything else, not even my own kingdom."

I swallowed hard as I nodded in agreement, "I…do your highness…."

"Thank you,' he said relieved before returning his attention to his daughter, "Ikuchi, my time is running short, like a river, it begins, flows and even must end. Nothing can stop it…. so I hope you can forgive me for having to part ways with you in this world….when you're still so young."

"Don't say that!" she cried lousy as she hugged him closely, "I have Leviathan with me now! With her power! I can certainly save-"

Before she could finish, her dying father stoke her face gently and make her look towards, "My dear sweet daughter…." He said pausing to look at her shining eyes and the pure heart they reflected, "I couldn't be more proud of the young woman, no, queen of Norvagen who now stands before me. I truly wish to see the kingdom you would now shape in your name, really I do…." Closing his eyes and resting, "But….I believe that the only way for you to truly shine is through my absence and not my help."

She then continued to sob heavily, while I did my best to look away, which proved difficult as even I could feel my own heart crack just listening to these last dying words.

"Do not weep my child, I will always be with you in your heart. Just like your mother who now calls for me on the other side." he said which caught her attention, "Like me she too has been most proud of who you have now become thanks to this young man, our roles in this life are now fulfilled, and now…it is time I joined her and finally answer her lonely prayers to be with me once more."

After wiping away one last tear, Ikuchi lowered her head in sadness while finally accepting her father's choice and fate. "Father…..I….understand….Please keep mother company and may she now rest peacefully now that you are with her."

"I shall my daughter. I shall…." He replied weakly as he lay back on his bed finally in peace as he closed his eyes, "Ikuchi," he breathed as we both paid full attention to his final words, "Promise me that…you will never forget what happened today, and that you will return our homeland into the paradise it was and should have been. No matter how long it takes or how far you now go, I will always watch over you from above…."

Taking ahold of his hand and clutching it to his chest, she nodded firmly, "I….I promise father….I swear by our family name that Norvagen will never see a day of darkness ever again."

The next morning, Avalon quietly took his last breath and died peacefully in his sleep. It rained heavily that day as crowds along with Leviathan herself gathered to mourn for their fallen king, especially Ikuchi, who wept the most bitterly as she lowered herself to her father's tombstone, which laid right next to where her mother was buried, in the palace gardens near the forest glade where she and I duelled and practice for some time. My dragons and I stayed behind in the shadows observing, for we felt we had no actual place there, as this was a personal family matter to Ikuchi. But despite being further away I couldn't deny the bitter tears and emotions that were running through me at that very moment.

"Had leviathan been awaken sooner maybe she could have healed him, but even her powers have limits…." Jormangandr commented while Tiamat and Fafnir remained silent. Noticing his brother and I feeling regretful over sealing her away long ago, he then came up to us, "You can only save someone who wants to be saved. He wanted to pass on, for if he didn't then Ikuchi would have no room to grow and fill in his place. It is sad but those were his last wishes, and we should respect them." We understood what he told us and nodded reluctantly. As bad and dark as this moment seemed, I sudden;y realised something, that Yuya once said to me a long time ago.

Life is like a pendulum and it swings both ways. Right now was in darkness but soon, as I hoped, it soon changed…

The rains then lightened before finally ceasing, and the warm sun rays pierced through the dark rainy clouds and shone on Ikuchi, heralding the painful passing of the past and now the start of a brand new chapter in Norvagen's history. Looking up to the sky she then nodded firmly with a confident smile, that she would lead this world into a bright new future soon.

Later that day, Ikuchi's coronation began to go underway, as the crowds and masses gathered within the massive courtroom as they once did before me. Jilen soon stepped on stage before them, "Announcing her royal majesty! Princess Ikuchi!" The trumpets sounded together in a magnificent chorus as the maidservants and knights made way for their beautiful new ruler dressed in her most regal attire, as she stepped out on stage and the crowds cheered and praised her eminence gracing them with her presence. She soon stood before her royal protector who proudly received the crown from one of the stewards, "My lady, it is with great honour that I present to you the Norvagen crown." He said as he took it and she kneeled down ready to receive it and all the responsibilities that would come with it, "This is to be worn by the crowned ruler of Norvagen, and it is with greatest honour that I now pass this on to you." As he placed the crown (Which somewhat resembled an empress' crown) upon her head, the sounds of cheering and applause echoed through the rooms of the castle.

"Thank you Jilen, I truly am grateful that to have you be the one to watch over me in my youth and to have you be the one to present me with this as well." She said to him.

"Thank you your highness, I truly am grateful!" He said bowing before her and moving aside, "They are waiting for you to address them, your majesty." he said as he stepped off the stage.

She took one more breath before confidently stepping onto the stage before all her subjects, "Greetings all of Norvagen. I am deeply thankful and honoured to have each and everyone of you gathered here in this room before me. And….I must present my deepest and humblest apologies for failing you and for everything that has happened to our fair Norvagen due to my weakness." She said with some remorse in her voice, "I was scared and helpless and because of that, I unintentionally allowed Enigma to establish a foothold in our precious homeland and even turning it into a stronghold for an even more diabolical scheme which would have ruined countless more worlds and civilisations. Because of me, Norvagen fell into disarray and many innocent lives were oppressed or even lost. We not only turned out backs to our scared principles and morals we worked to hard to build in honour of our great goddess Leviathan, we even turned a blind eye to the true suffering and pain our home and people had been subjected to."

The crowds soon mirrored her sad and regretful mood before she continued on in a more positive manner, "But not anymore, for that all ends today! Today is a new beginning for Norvagen, where the pains of the past are finally put behind us! While it is true we may have to live with what we have done or experienced, we shall never let that control us as we continue to strive forward to a unified paradise where humans and monsters can once again coexist together as one! I promise that as queen I will continue lead us towards that future and how we shall not hesitate to move forward, undertake the impossible, when even all hope seems lost." As she finished the masses cheered and roared with energy once more, chanting her name and praising her, "Because of that, it is with my deepest pleasure that I present you with the young man who helped open my eyes to the truth. The one who not only served as my shield and sword, but even made me stronger, enough to even free our divine goddess Leviathan herself from stone so she may now become part of our beautiful world as she once was!" They then cheered vigorously knowing exactly who she meant and waited excitedly for his arrival, "I present to you all Norvagen's true saviour! Lord Ryuga Shirogane!"

Everyone cheered in excitement as the lights began to focus to the sideline seat where I was supposed to be, but when they shone on the intended spot everyone gasped!

"Huh?" Ikuchi turned and was surprised to see the chair was completely empty! "Wh…where's Ryuga?" She asked.

"Hmm? That's very odd…." Jilen muttered curiously as he went to the seat, "I was certain he would be here by now to witness your coronation my queen. In fact, it was only 10 minutes ago when I saw him face to face in his room and told him to get ready."

"Then where is he now? Can you please try and find him?" She then asked hoping I would be able to attend her coronation and her moment if glory, as she felt I deserved this honour at the very least after all I did for her and Norvagen.

"Hmm….I shall take a look." Jilen replied as he went to the room to fetch me. For a while he was gone, until he suddenly rushed back in panting heavily.

"Jilen!? What's wrong!?" Ikuchi gasped surprised at his sudden rush in.

He breathed heavily before gasping, "He's gone! He's completely disappeared!"

"What!?" she gasped in alarm as the crowds began to mutter amongst themselves in confusion.

"How can this be!?"

"Gone!? That's impossible!"

"Where could he have gone!? Could he have been captured!?"

"Fear not everyone! Remain calm! I can assure you he wasn't taken!" He called out to everyone calming them down before reluctantly turning to his queen, "He did however, leave this behind on his bed….I believe it was meant for you." He said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked like a folded note.

Taking it from his hand, Ikuchi then began to read it-

 _Dear Ikuchi,_

 _I hear you are about to be crowned queen of Norvagen. Therefore I deeply congratulate you and I know that you will certainly do your family proud. As hard as it is to say, I deeply regret that I won't be able to attend and watch you rise to the throne. My role and mission in this world has ended and the time has now come for me to bud farewell. I hope you would be able to respect my decision as it was one I could not make so easily, if you cannot forgive me for this then I understand. I look forward to one day returning here and seeing the beautiful utopia you would construct in your family name and in honour of our friendship._

 _Your dearest friend, Ryuga._

As soon as she finished reading it, Ikuchi's heart skipped a beat and a single, painful tear was then shed from her eye, "R…Ryuga….."

 **(Ryuga POV)**

A ways away from Norvagen, I rode on top of Bahamut's back as he continued to fly me across the sea towards an isolated island far off shore. Noticing I had a look of conflict inside he then spoke to me, "Are you sure you didn't want to stay and see Ikuchi get crowned? It's not too late to turn back now." he suggested.

"It's alright." i replied back having made my decision, "The longer I stay the harder it will be to say goodbye Bahamut. After everything we've been through the past few days, it would be really painful having to part ways, but…in the end we both knew it would turn out like this." I said back to him as I fought hard to keep my eyes from shedding any small drops of tears.

"I understand Ryuga, if our positions were reversed, I would no doubt make the same choice." Bahamut replied choosing not to speak of this anymore. My main regret was going back on my promise to the king after his dying wishes….But….it had to be done sooner or later. We still have friends waiting for us back home on the other side and we've been away from them long enough. The time was now and we had to do it before our window would close.

"At least one of us will be happy." I said trying to lighten the mood, "You were able to reconcile and properly say goodbye to Leviathan weren't you?" I asked my old friend.

"Indeed I was," my dragon replied, "She was quite heartbroken that we were going to part ways…..again. But, she was able to understand and thankfully she was finally able to let go of the bitter past she once held onto for so long, it's safe to say her cold heart has finally warmed and melted away." He said turning back to the now bright and peaceful kingdom behind us across the sea as it continued to grow further and further away, "I am certain with Ikuchi as her partner and queen of Norvagen, not to mention dragon empress, this place will see much brighter days and a prosperous future ahead of it."

"Glad to hear things will soon turn for the better in this place, for both humans and monsters." I said in response knowing I could rest easy with things being kept in check from now on here, "Bahamut, did you-"

"Yes I have." He answered as he held out his claw, revealing his personal treasure of a gem in his palm, "Leviathan charged this crystal with enough energy to fully the unstable dimensional portal here in Ritual dimension, and it should take us back home without any trouble or side effects. To think this old treasure and bond since long ago…will be the very key to our gate home."

As we reached the island's centre and landed in the middle of a stone circle surrounded by the sea itself I got off and looked around us, "Is this the place?" I asked.

"Yes," he answered, "Leviathan said the dimensional barrier to the pendulum dimension is weakest at this point. If we use infuse the crystal's power with the duel disk right when the sun is at its highest right here, the crossover card will fully charge and become strong enough to generate a warp portal through this point. We'll finally be able to go home with this." He said to me.

I then nodded in acknowledgement, "So it's finally come to this…..Here goes…." Taking the crystal and after placing it onto my duel disk's top screen, it was then absorbed into it! My entire disk then glowed brightly and the crossover card then appeared on it, flashing blue and fully charged with power as it bathed in the light of the midday sun! I then took one final breath of ritual dimension's fresh air before doing the final step, as I did the others in my duel disk decided to take one last look at the world around us before we were to leave it all behind. After I gave them their moment and allowed them all back inside except for Bahamut, the time had arrived, "Well everyone…..let's go home." I said to them as I reached out for the button on my disk, but right before I could press the button, a familiar voice then shouted for my name.

"RYUGA!"

I nearly tripped in surprise as I hear my name called, "Huh? That voice….it couldn't-"

"Ryuga! Wait!" As I turned around I saw a familiar face rushing frantically to where we were standing. "Ikuchi…." I breathed as she came into full view. She then hurried to where we were and lowered herself to her knees in exhaustion of having to catch up with us, while still in her royal gown. "How did….you find us?" I asked.

"Isn't is obvious?" A certain dragon said as she slithered up to where we were and curled herself by Ikuchi's side.

"Leviathan….."

She then turned to her love, "Forgive me Bahamut, but I couldn't bear the thought of seeing my partner heartbroken and going through the same pain that I once did. I never imagined you would actually repeat this same mistake twice, this time however, I vowed things would be different and I intended to keep that promise." she said firmly.

"…"

He said nothing in return but stayed out of what was between me and Ikuchi.

"Ryuga!" she yelled as she looked back up at me, "What is the meaning of this!?" she growled holding out letter at me, "What do you mean you're leaving!?" she cried after that.

"…."

I said nothing back in response.

"Answer me!" She screamed.

I swallowed hard and sweated what seemed like drops of blood, wishing it didn't have to come to this. But like Avalon said before he died, our time was limited, it was about to come to an end sooner or later so I decided to man up and spill the truth, "It's exactly you just said Ikuchi….I'm going home." I lowered my head slightly in regret, "I'm really sorry for not being able to attend your ceremony, I know it really must mean a lot to you….but….I feared that if I were to stay, it would only make that much harder for me to let go and to say goodbye…."

"Ryuga…." she breathed before having a rush of emotion welling up inside her. At first she was going to explode with fury and sadness but managed to restrain herself and realised that I had my reasons as well, "I…I understand what you may be feeling and I respect it deeply, after everything you have been through I have no right to stop you. But….Are you sure you don't want to stay?" She asked taking my hands and looking at me, "Is there really nothing I can do to convince you to change your mind? To be my king and rule Norvagen by my side?"

I looked down in response but faced her again, "Thanks Ikuchi, I really appreciate the offer and will never forget everything we've been through together since we first met." Looking around us I then smiled lightly knowing my time here was well spent and no doubt unforgettable, "Living in this world of yours has been a great experience, and I have no doubt that things will get much better now that you are its queen." My smile then vanished back to my initial sad expression, "But, this is your world not mine. And no matter how much I enjoyed it here, deep down I've always been missing it and the many bonds that I have made there."

"Ryuga…." she sighed.

"I know I promised your father, but….I believe in you. You don't need me to watch over you anymore, as your teacher I just know you've grown up fine and strong since we met, and I am certain that you'll make a fine queen and usher in a new golden age for your people and world." I said to her confidently and firmly.

"Sniff…" she began to sob and tears began to well up inside her eyes s I began to help her wipe them away with a handkerchief from my pocket.

"Don't cry…." I aid to her gently, "It's alright, you can believe this won't be the last time we'll see each other. And that we'll always be friends."

"Always…." she sniffed before wiping away the last drop and finally accepting it, "You will all be missed." She said as the souls of my other 3 dragons materialised behind me with a small silhouette of my counterparts with each of them too.

"Same here, but…even if we are apart, we won't be separated." I replied. As Bahamut and Leviathan both looked on and then at each other, i could tell they were feeling and saying the exact same things telepathically.

"That's a promise we intend to keep." She said, "You can be sure that you will be honoured everyday for the rest of our lives here in Norvagen. And if you ever do decide to return, do know you'll always be welcome."

"I look forward to that day, and when I do, I also hope that the time will come when the monsters of this world will once again be free as equal individuals with your people, and the use of Enigma's stone tablets will then be relinquished." I said back.

"Mhmm." She nodded as I began to turn around, but at the very lasts second she called out, "Wait!"

"Ikuchi?" I turned back surprised she would want me back so soon after that painful parting.

She then came close to me and took my hands, "Before you go….here…..take this with you." She said as she took off her necklace and placing it into my hands.

"You're….giving me your pendant?" I asked cursory.

She nodded in response, "My mother gave this to me before she passed on that night….She said this was to be worn by the crown princess, and that it would protect me, I have never taken it off since then and it as even lead me to you. It indeed has done as my mother hopes it would, but now….I want you to have it…."

"Wow Ikuchi….I'm really touched by this, thank you" I said feeling honoured but then tired to give it back, "But…I can't possibly accept something as priceless and sacred to your family as this. You should have it."

She then closed my other palm over it, "Keep it, I insist as queen of Norvagen." she replied firmly insistingly pushing my hand back before I could hand it over, "That way….you'll always remember not just your adventure here and what you've done for us all….but also….me." She then added at the end with a warm smile.

"Well in that case, I suppose I have no reason to refuse." I said as I placed it around my own neck.

Bahamut then decided to step in for a few parting words of his own, "You are a great girl Ikuchi, never before have I imagined I would ever see the duelist with the heart of purest water and the soul of a powerful winter breeze as the prophecy stated." he said praising her before turning to the blue sea serpent beside her, "You have found an excellent partner Leviathan, make sure you not only take care of her, but continued to guide and protect her with the power bestowed upon you." He said to her telepathically.

"The same goes for you Bahamut." she replied looking at me before turning back to him, "Watch over our master like you always have, and know that I will always be cheering you on for whatever challenges or obstacles come your way."

"You have my, no, our word that we shall." He said as Tiamat, Fafnir and Jormangandr bowed down in respect to them.

"It eases my heart that Ryuga is in the ever capable claws of you all." Leviathan said gladly and finally at peace herself, "I thank you all for your bravery and noble actions…..now….have a safe journey home."

Noticing that the sun was about to pass I then hopped onto Bahamut as we took off into the sky. Flashing my duel disk it then glowed powerfully as it generated a powerful new portal before us over the sky. Charging straight at it before it began to shrink I turned around for a few parting words, "Goodbye Ikuchi!"

"Farewell Ryuga! Thank you for everything!" she called back waking at me as we finally disappeared through the portal and it closed.

For a while both she and Leviathan stayed at that very spot without moving an inch, treasuring that last moment one final time before having to move on. "Well Ikuchi, what shall we do now?" Leviathan asked having already her moment and curious about her partner.

Turing to her dragon she then smiled warmly without any regrets, "Let's go back to where we belong. They are waiting for us." She replied as she climbed onto Leviathan's back as she went back into the sea and began swimming towards her home, without a backwards glance towards the portal site as the sun passed.

 **(Several days later)**

A lot of time has passed since I finally managed to return home to Maiami City. It fortunate that I arrived back when I did, for Reiji and Leo were just about to mobilise the lancers and dimensional fighting forces, and confess everything to them about what had happened since day 1. They barely managed to cover up for me every time my friends came and asked for me and how i was since then, and they were just about to run out of ideas to say that would keep them from getting suspicious. They had planned to put together a rescue mission to bring me back by any means necessary, so it was lucky I appeared back in LDS right before they could initiate it. Naturally Reiji was the most thankful to have me back, never imagined seeing his serious and stoic demeanour shift to one of great relief in my entire life. I then filled them both in on everything that took place in that other world since the very start and let's just say it completely blew their minds! At first they didn't believe me but after seeing the data recorded on my duel disk on everything about ritual dimension, Norvagen and its people, it absolutely defied all logic and science which they believed in.

Who would've imagined that a world where humans and monsters lived together in harmony actually existed in another plane of reality. On top of that, to think another dimensional tragedy was taking place under their noses and thankfully I was able to uproot that weed of a threat before it finally it spread into a major problem. They never would have imagined a byproduct of Zarc and Dahaka's would have potentially given rise to a new danger that would have threatened the other dimensions with war again, one which they would have no doubt lost had I not stopped it. After all, it wouldn't matter to us fighting the invaders and defending our homes if we didn't have their monsters to aid us in battle or worse fall under Enigma's control and turn against us. They both gave me great thanks for being able to stop the calamity and being able to establish strong ties with the people there thanks to my heroic actions. Leo expressed great interest in establishing connections to this new world so he could study it, its people as well as its monsters as a scientist. Reiji on the other hand preferred to establish a connection or even an alliance with the ritual dimension believing the potential aligning with them would bring to the many cities of the 4 dimensions, as well as their connections with the monsters could help make better duelists and even forge a much stronger unity.

As great as those ideas sounded, I knew much better and decided against it to their surprise. I then told them both that Norvagen's people had already suffered massive blows to their livelihoods and emotional scars that were self-inflicted courtesy of Enigma. Also, the land had such a connection with the monsters that dwelled there, that if it were to ever mix with modern technology and civilisation, the magic and natural force which made ritual dimension what it was would then be lost forever. Furthermore, any additional outsiders entering the kingdom would be more likely to hinder restoration efforts rather than aid them.

Leo was somewhat disappointed that I didn't share his sense of enthusiasm and insisted that with help from the other 4 dimensions, Norvagen would surely recover much faster or even prosper and develop even further from medieval standards. But luckily, Reiji then gained a change of heart and vouched for me, seeing that I was among these people for so long and knew how much they treasured their culture and history. He also agreed that any outside influence from the other dimensions may interfere with restoration there after the harsh blows that were dealt to their livelihoods, and that the purity of their world would be easily tainted by the outside worlds. Leo still wanted to press on but eventually realised this exact same mindset and ignorance was what created Supreme King Dragon Zarc in the first place and how he didn't heed my words from my past life as Dahaka. After giving in, the 3 of us agreed to never let any news of this leave our lips and that the ritual dimension will remain a secret, isolated from the rest of the other dimensions….for now at least. It was sad that I may never get another chance to see Ikuchi or Norvagen again but…..this was for the best….

After that, Reiji decided that I deserved much time to myself and informed me that everyone else believed that I was still away doing errands for him and I made it back in time, because he and his father had just about ran out of excuses to say to them. Letting me go, I quickly hurried back down the streets back to You Show Duel School awaiting a warm welcome from my close friends. I was surprised when I found the entire place empty when I came through the front door. I assumed they all went out but then overheard a commotion going right behind the block. When I came around to where my old card shack was, I couldn't believe what I was seeing…..

Looking through the windows of the store I almost fell downwards in shock when I saw Yoko Sakaki along with a pair of other women dressed up together as harpy lady sisters hoping to attract customers by being all flashy, but all they attracted was a bunch of embarrassed faces and face palming from Yuya, Yuzu, Sora and the rest of the gang (From the You Show trio to Gongengzaka and Shuzo), begging them to stop! From what I remembered Yoko used to be a member of the Maiami Queens duel gang, so I was pretty sure she got her old gang mates back together hoping they could attract customers, but from what I was seeing I'd say they were more likely to scare them away…..

I decided to make myself known and go through the front door of the shop. They all were expecting to see a customer but were shocked to find an old face waiting for them. As fast as lightning they welcomed me back in open arms and cheers and dog piled over me! It was as though I had come back from a war and they were glad to have me back in one piece! They had tried calling me multiple times over the past few weeks but none of which had managed to get through. Not even a message or reply since then and they were really anxious for a sign that I really was fine as Reiji kept telling them. Telling them that I was in an entirely new dimension and saving the 5 worlds from danger surely wouldn't be the right course of action, so I went with the story where I had gone off to assist Reiji in a town where reception was practically non-existent, which apparently isn't too far off from the truth.

Yoko wanted to give me a big warm welcome hug but I slipped out of the way causing her to trip over her and fall face forward on the floor! From what the gang told me, Yoko did at first give discount prices for my cards and packs and things started all sweet and peachy for them all. However, she eventually came up with various extravagant ideas to try and attract more customers from around town, from doing all sorts of wild advertising duels on bikes, getting the gang to hand out embarassingly designed flyers (While wearing 'unique' monster outfits she designed for them like Yuya in saggi the dark clown or Yuzu as gamble angel bunny) or even dressing up in skimpy duel monster outfits herself to attract customers (From guardian angel joan, cosmo queen or even dark magician girl). The rest of them couldn't take it anymore and were more than happy to take my overpriced cards over her flashy discount methods. Apparently Yoko wasn't quite the saleswoman, advertiser or store manager I hoped she would be when I trusted her the keys to the dragon's den…..something I would be sure to keep in mind next time I were to go out of town….

Over the next few days I made all sorts of memories with my friends across the dimensions, from aiding Shun, Kaito and Edo complete the finishing touches on Heartland, assisting the You Show branch at Fusion dimension with Dennis, riding a duel runner race alongside Crow and company in a grand prix race to support the orphanage and finally concluding with a spectacular entertainment duel in Maiami stadium for all to see with both Yuya and Yusho Sakaki! All of which were the greatest and most fun I had in a long time! Or so I thought….

Yet….despite all the great and enjoyable times I had during the day, each night before I slept, I kept feeling an aching tug on my heart as if something was missing from it….Whenever I looked back at the necklace Ikuchi left with me, I continued to miss my time her with each passing day. One night at dinner, both Yusho and Yoko had to leave for an important dinner so both Yuya and I were left home eating leftover meals from the fridge and the family pets as usual were eating rather neatly for animals, in their corner of the dining room. While Yuya kept munching away at his food he noticed I barely touched my plate or even my utensils! He then noticed that I was holding a certain ornament in my hand in the shape of a blue dragon, "Hey Ryuga, where'd you get that? It looks pretty cool!" he called out interested in it.

"Huh!?" I gasped looking up from my hand before looking at Yuya, "Oh this? It's…well, a memento from….my trip Reiji sent me out on a while back." I answered, "This was from….a friend I made there."

"Oh really? That's nice!" Yuya cheered, "Is it a he or a she? What's your friend like? Is your new friend a duelist too like us?" He then asked a number of questions which made me feel uncomfortable just trying to answer. When he realised what I was feeling, "Oh….I…I'm sorry Ryuga, I was just…"

I then stopped him, "No no it's fine really." I replied with a light smile on my face before looking down slightly, "Let's just say….she and I made plenty of good memories together and even forged a bond. She gave this to me to remember her by." I said flashing the pendant at Yuya, "And….I actually kinda miss her."

"Ryuga…." Yuya replied feeling for me before brightening up, "Well no worries! I'm sure you'll see her again someday! Take my advice, all you need to do is remain positive and continue to hope! Then some day, I'm sure you'll see her again when you least expect it!"

"Hope…." I replied before nodding in agreement and smiling back, "Y…yeah you're right Yuya. I'm sure we'll meet again, and when we do I'll be more than happy to introduce her to the rest of you all. Thanks buddy."

"Don't mention it! And I can hardly wait!" he cheered in excitement. Him brightening up my mood was enough to motivate me to eat again. After all, if I really was going to meet Ikuchi again one day, I want her to see me happy and full of life like how I was when we parted ways….and someday I knew we would we be together again.

 **(One morning at LDS)**

Everything had been going smoothly as it always had been, as Reiji entered the control room for the morning inspection of the premises as well as for the status report on the 5 dimensions, "Nakajima, I assume you are monitoring the dimensional boundaries carefully as I instructed you to?" he asked turning to his assistant overseeing the entire operation.

"Indeed I have sir." The large man in sunglasses replied as he submitted the reports to his boss before showing him the display screens, "All dimensions have been accounted for, none of which have experienced any changes and all appears nor-" He then paused as he noticed a small blimp appear on the dimensional radar, "Hmm? That's odd…." He muttered as he went in for a closer look at the screen while scratching his chin.

"What is it?" Reiji asked curiously.

"An anomaly has been detected in the outskirts of Maiami City, at the original portal site we used to enter the ritual dimension over a week ago!" Nakajima gasped after getting a better look at it.

"Are you able to pinpoint its' origin?" Reiji asked seeing this unexpected and sudden development to be a matter of concern.

"Checking….." As Nakajima typed on the computer for a more accurate result he then took a step back in surprise, "I don't believe it…."

"Nakajima, where is the origin of this anomaly?" Reiji asked once, wanting his assistant to get straight to the point and to spare him any and all unnecessary details.

Acknowledging his boss' orders he reluctantly replied, "Sir….It's origin is from….the ritual dimension!"

Reiji's eyes widened in surprise as he heard the uttered words, "But that's…..impossible…."

 **(Meanwhile)**

That same morning, as the sun rose over You Show Duel School, a certain figure was then seen walking up to the school's front door. She had long blue hair which went right down to her waist, which flowed and waved almost a fluid as the water's waves in the wind. She wore a white sailor's uniform tied with a bluish ribbon at the chest area. She also wore a plated miniskirt along with long white knee socks and a pair of simple shoes. "Is this is the place? Is he here?" she asked curiously looking at the building in front of her.

"Indeed he is. I can sense his spiritual power emanating from this very spot, and it's pulsating as strong as ever." A female voice replied from her pink standard duel disk as she looked down to it.

"I see…..so this is where he is now….." the girl replied with a light smile, "Hey hee! What an interesting looking building. It almost looks like one of those 'children's playgrounds' we came across on the way here, it even looks like a lot of fun too." she giggled in amusement of the school's unique appearance.

"Well? What are you waiting for? You've came all this way to see him, so let's not turn back now." The voice said back to her.

She then nodded with a confident expression on her face, "You're right. We've come all this way to see him again, after so long too. I most certainly hope he's been doing well." She then took a few steps up to the door and took hold of it, "Here we go…." Opening it and stepping inside she found the entrance room and hall to be very empty, one could even say abandoned, "H…hello? Is anyone here?" She called out shyly.

For a while no one answered her calls so she assumed that no one was around, until-

"Oi! Who goes there!?" A voice suddenly shouted. She then jumped back a little when an orange haired man in a flaming sports jacket burst through a door on the side!

"Eep!" she gasped in surprise.

As the man looked around and eventually caught sight of her, he immediately rushed in "Huh? Ooooh! A visitor? Now who might you be?" he asked with a big smile as he edged in closer, admiringly she was cute….but not as cute as his precious daughter of course which was what he thought to himself.

"U…Ummm…." she replied uneasily as the strange man came in a little too close for her comfort.

"DAD!" A new voice suddenly shouted out, which was followed by a loud smack! The girl closed her eyes

"What did I tell you about getting your 'hot blooded' mindset too close to our guests or even visitors!?"

"S…sorry Yuzu, I couldn't help myself…." he groaned while on the ground.

The visitor then sweat dropped and giggled nervously in response to the 'family drama' unfolding before her, "M..Maybe I should come back later…." she suggested as she turned around for the door.

"No! Stop!" Yuzu gasped in alarm making the girl turn back curiously. When she did, Yuzu managed to regain her composure and take in a deep breath, "I mean…wait….Sorry to scare you like that, my name is Yuzu Hiragii."

"The knucklehead on the floor here is my father, Shuzo, who also happens to be the principal of this proud You Show Duel School. I also hope you would forgive him for 'violating' your personal space."

"It's…alright…." The girl replied with a light smell before looking around the whole place, "This is a school? Oh my….."

"Why yes indeed!" Shuzo announced as he leaped back up perking with energy to the girls' surprise! "This is the one of a kind special school where we teach the next generation of duelists the hot blooded art of entertainment duelling!" he boasted with pride and energy.

"I see…." the girl responded with another sweat drop.

"Dad, would you mind giving our visitor some space please? Or am I have to teach you discipline again?" Yuzu growled menacingly as a purplish aura flared around her.

"Y…Yes dear…." he squeaked before taking his leave into the office room.

Once the distraction was out of the way, Yuzu turned her attention back towards the female visitor, "So what brings you here today? Are you interested in joining our wonderful school?" she asked with a bright and warm smile.

"Ummm no not exactly," the girl replied while twirling her hair in a small lock with her finger, "I'm actually here looking for someone…." she replied rather shyly.

"Oh?" Yuzu clearly wasn't expecting something like that to come from a visitor that wasn't a friend. She didn't seem like a fan of Yusho, nor of Yuya or Ryuga, and surely neither her dad nor any of her other friends here would have met her otherwise she would know and remember her, "And who exactly were you hoping to find here?" She then asked curiously.

Scratching her head and smiling rather embarrassedly she then spoke, "Well…you see….his name is-"

 **(Ryuga POV)**

Meanwhile at the duel field, Sora, Yuya and I were about to take on the You Show trio in a 3 on 3 duel. The field setting was acrobatic circus and we were about to throw down! Or at least, most of us, "Oi Ryuga!" Sora shouted to me when he noticed I wasn't quite there, at least my mind.

"Huh?" I looked around as if I had just woken up from a dream, then turned around to saw him calling me.

"You look out of it today Ryuga, is something wrong?" Yuya asked me curiously.

"N…no I'm fine, just spacing out that's all." I replied.

"Uh huh….That's what you've been saying for the past few days straight." Sora replied unconvinced as he liked his lollipop once more and everyone continued to eye me curiously, "Mind telling us what's up? We're friends aren't we?"

"Errr can we save that fro another time? Let's just get this duel over with first then we'll talk. I'm fine now okay?" I said suddenly before the others could ask me. Trying to put Ikuchi behind me wasn't very easy, considering the charm I promised to never take off from my neck kept reminding me of her every single day. But right now I couldn't let that bother me, as we had duel practice right now and it wouldn't be fair to hold everyone else back because of me.

"Oh okay then." Yuya replied deciding to get back to the matter at hand, "Alright guys! Let's begin the chant!"

"Duelist locked in battle! Kicking the earth and dancing in the air alongside their monsters! They storm through this field! Behold this is the greatest evolution of duelling!"

ACTION-

"RYUGA!" A voice suddenly called which made us all trip and fall down out of shock!

"ACK!"

CRASH

"Urgh…." We all groaned after our fall backs and face plants, but I was the first to recover and look up, considering it was my name that was called.

"Huh?" Looking up at the viewing platform I saw it was Yuzu calling for me.

"Hey! You've got a visitor! Says she wants to see you right now!"

"Huh? A visitor?" I questioned curiously while raising my eyebrow.

The others then looked at each other, "For Ryuga?"

"And it's a girl too."

Sora then turned to me with a sly grin, "Oh? An admirer?" Soon the kids then turned to me with teasing expressions on their faces while Yuya simply smiled as in 'good for you'.

"Shut up…." I muttered turning away from them, "Oh well, might as well see who it is since she came all the way here for me." I muttered to myself as I walked out of the arena as the real solid vision dissipated. Another fan? Me and Yuya have had to accept various duel requests and signing autographs from fans and other duelists for some time now….it was really beginning to annoy me whenever they came in unexpectedly, but we were obliged to do so, our honour as entertainment duelists demands it so.

As soon as I left the premises Sora smirked to himself as he decided to tail me with interest, "Well I want to see who it is! Count me out of duel practice today guys!" He cheered as he skipped along to the door.

"Yeah me too!"

"You can count me in as well!" The kids added as they followed him leaving just Yuya alone.

"Ummm guys, were in the middle of duel practice here. I was really hoping to try out a new combo I worked on all night!" he whined.

"Relax Yuya! We can get back to it anytime!" Sora replied, "Besides, I'm interested to see who's this girl that's taken such a shine to Ryuga! Not that I blame her, he's just as good as you are."

"Gee thanks…." he pouted before going back to his usual smile, "Still, I guess wouldn't hurt to see who came all this way here for him. Who knows, maybe we could make a new friend too…." He said as he followed the others.

After climbing up the stairs I soon neared the entrance I then called out, "Okay who is it that called for me?" As I looked up my eyes came face to face with a certain girl I never thought I would ever see again, at least not here. I then blinked a number of times in surprise as I went almost speechless.

"Hello Ryuga, it's been a long time hasn't it?" She said kindly while waving at me. I couldn't help but let my jaw open wide in surprise, for a moment I believed my eyes were playing tricks on me, but still…..could it really be her? "What's the matter? Are you not surprised or happy to see me?" She then asked curiously as to why I had suddenly gone all speechless.

"I….Ikuchi?" She looked so different, but her face and voice were exactly the same. Now I knew I wasn't seeing things! "H…How did-" I pointed out to her and back, as in how did she manage to get from here all the way from ritual dimension!?

"Huh? You guys know each other?" I heard as the entire gang, including Yuzu and Shuzo soon gathered up behind me, curious to know what was up with us. As they

I then sweated with pressure as I could feel so many eyes on us, "Err guys," I said turning to them for a brief moment, "E…Excuse me for a moment!" I requested as I brought her over to the corner where we could talk alone.

As I did, a couple of them snickered deviously, "Ooooh, privacy eh? Hehehe! This oughta be good."

"Awww….I really wanted to hear them out…." Ayu moaned while Yuzu patted her shoulder.

Meanwhile while it was just the 2 of us, "It's really nice to see you again Ikuchi, really it is." I said as she and I shared a small reuniting hug before looking at each other, "But…how did-"

"Tee hee, how else…." she giggled as she motioned her newly acquired duel disk which then glowed for a moment. A familiar voice then spoke out from it, which only the both of us could hear, then I knew how she did it.

"I told you that you couldn't get away from me so easily my love." Leviathan chuckled from inside.

"I'm actually glad about that too." Bahamut replied happy to see his love once more in his own home.

"Good to see our master has been doing fine himself under your care, and he's made himself a fine group of friends." She added as she looked behind me seeing all my friends gathered there.

"Indeed." Bahamut concluded.

While they were busy playing catch up I continued my part of the conversation with my old friend, "B…But how Ikuchi?" I then asked, "I mean, aren't you supposed to be queen of Norvagen? You can't just skip out on your royal responsibilities just to come see me, without even giving me a heads up on top of that!" I whisper shouted seeing that this wasn't something like visiting a family member in the countryside.

"Hee hee! I wanted to surprise you silly!" She giggled before becoming more serious, "And actually I can, in fact, my next duty as queen of Norvagen is to establish further ties and connections with the 4 worlds that surround our own. Like how you came to my home once to establish an alliance, now I have decided to take it a step further for the good of all our worlds."

"Really? I didn't look at it that way….But still…."

"I know." She answered finishing my sentence, "In fact I'm well aware of the risks of revealing our own culture and history to others, but on the other hand, if I really want to do this I can't just keep Norvagen just to the confines and boundaries ritual dimension now can I?" she counter argued, "I hope to open up new possibilities with all our worlds, and it's true it carries risks, but then again, without risk there won't be any progress of growth now can they?"

"Hmmm that's very true I've got to admit…." I replied back while scorching my chin in thought.

"Like you said we'll always have to be open-minded and be welcome to new ideas." she said before smiling at me, "I look forward to you teaching me many things about your world Ryuga."

I then blushed for a moment before smiling calmly myself, "S…sure Ikuchi, with all of my experience." I replied.

"So Ryuga! Care to introduce us to your girlfriend anytime this century?" A voice behind us interrupted. I turned around and noticed a number of smiling and teasing expressions being given to me by my friends and family, curious to know what we were discussing and what our relationship was.

Instead of reacting in embarrassment like the expected and hoped, I decided to come clean and not hide anything of the sort, "Why yes, yes I shall." I said to which made them gasp in amazement.

"Eh!?"

"For real!?"

"No way!"

Whistle*

"Everyone, I'd like you all to meet a very special friend, who I made while I was away." I said as I allowed her to step out from behind me and before the rest of my friends.

"Greetings everyone it's an honour to meet you all, my name is Ikuchi." She said as she did a respectful bow, now she was in a new world with new discoveries to make, and her first official duty as both queen and ambassador to the multiverse now begins, "I hope we all can become great friends, and thank you for having me." She said as she looked with a warm and bright smile.

 **And thus concludes my special OC. I hope you all enjoyed it and I admit like my previous story there were times I wanted to give up but I always found myself right back to typing it. Hope to hear your feedback on how you found my story too and thank you all for your support.**

 **Ikuchi-Former Princess and current queen of Norvagen, named after Ikuchi, the japanese sea dragon/ serpent which rumoured to straddle ships when coming into contact with them. Like the water it can be very calm and gentle, or magnificent and calm falling snow, like how she dislikes fighting and cruelty, always hoping to resolve matters peacefully. However, she also does possess great skill and wouldn't hesitate to fight in order to protect those she cares deeply for, gaining power like a raging maelstrom or blizzard.**

 **Like Leviathan she did have a lot of discouragement and fears due to being the cold shoulder by many who lack faith in her in the past, but all that melted away when she met Ryuga who helped warm her heart and find the fire within herself.**


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